The so-called 'godfather' of the hypnagogic pop and chillwave movements has been denied restraining orders against his ex Charlotte Ercoli Coe, whom he claims was attempting to blackmail him.
- Jan 15, 2021
AceShowbiz - Ariel Pink has a more serious issue to deal with, a week after he came under fire for attending a pro-Trump White House rally. The indie rocker is accused of physical and sexual abuse by an ex-girlfriend.
The allegations surfaced to public on Thursday, January 14 as Pitchfork obtained court documents in which Ariel sought for restraining orders against his ex Charlotte Ercoli Coe. The 42-year-old star claims that his ex was attempting to blackmail him.
In the court documents, Ariel claims that his ex had been "falsely claiming [Ariel] was a sexual 'predator' and falsely claiming to mutual friends and to [Ariel] that he committed sexual offenses almost three years ago for which she has threatened to report [Ariel] to police authorities." Ariel's lawyer also claimed that Charlotte had threatened to go to the press about Ariel's alleged misconduct and that she'd sent a letter to Mexican Summer urging the label to drop Ariel.
On January 6, Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Laura Cohen dismissed his request and ruled that Charlotte is entitled to "reasonable attorneys' fees and costs," in an amount yet to be determined. In her ruling, the judge cited California's anti-SLAPP statute, which is supposed to prevent people from using frivolous lawsuits to keep people silent.
Ariel's lawyer Thomas Mortimer said when asked to comment on the court case, "The pending matter is now on appeal and the subject of a separate lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court. It is [Ariel's] position that the speech and communications at the heart of the case are not protected and [are] defamatory."
On the same day the judge ordered his request "hereby stricken and dismissed," Ariel was spotted attending a pro-Trump rally at the White House lawn, which gave way to the violent siege at the Capitol Hill. The singer defended his presence at the protest, saying that he was "in dc to peacefully show my support for the president," but denied that he was part of the mob that stormed the Capitol. "i attended the rally on the white house lawn and went back to hotel and took a nap. case closed," he claimed.
Ariel was later dropped by his label, which said in a statement posted on January 8, "Due to recent events, Mexican Summer and its staff have decided to end our working relationship with Ariel Rosenberg AKA Ariel Pink moving forward."
Speaking in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Thursday, January 14, Ariel lamented the cancel culture after his rally attendance. "I'm sort of overwhelmed right now and I don't know what to do. My family's been getting death threats," he said of the backlash. "The hate is overwhelming. People are so mean. I'm terrified."
