Over a year after sexual abuse allegations emerged against Ryan Adams, the singer/songwriter has shared an apology with Daily Mail. “There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career,” he wrote.
“All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple,” he continued. “This period of isolation and reflection made me realize that I needed to make significant changes in my life.”
In the apology, Adams also revealed that he is now sober, with professional help. “In my effort to be a better man, I have fought to get sober, but this time I’m doing it with professional help. Sobriety is a priority in my life, and so is my mental health. These, as I’m learning, go hand in hand.”
“That being said, no amount of growth will ever take away the suffering I had caused,” he continued. “I will never be off the hook and I am fully accountable for my harmful behavior, and will be for my actions moving forward.”
The sexual abuse allegations against Adams were first reported by The New York Times in February of 2019. The report included accounts from Adam’s ex-wife Mandy Moore, Phoebe Bridgers and an unnamed musician who was 15-16 years old during her contact with Adams. Additionally, Karen Elson, Liz Phair and Jenny Lewis released statements after the Times report, and Adam’s tour manager and touring guitarist spoke out against him.
At the time, Adams shared a string of tweets in which he called the allegations “upsettingly inaccurate,” and that some were “outright false.” Read those tweets here.
Read his full statement to Daily Mail below, or click here.
There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career.
All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple. This period of isolation and reflection made me realize that I needed to make significant changes in my life.
I’ve gotten past the point where I would be apologizing just for the sake of being let off the hook and I know full well that any apology from me probably won’t be accepted by those I’ve hurt.
I get that and I also understand that there’s no going back.
To a lot of people this will just seem like the same empty bull***t apology that I’ve always used when I was called out, and all I can say is, this time it is different.
Having truly realized the harm that I’ve caused, it wrecked me, and I’m still reeling from the ripples of devastating effects that my actions triggered.
There is no way to convince people that this time is truly different, but this is the albatross that I deserve to carry with me as a result of my actions.
Realizing the consequences of my actions, I took a hard look inwards and sought to find the truth behind them. What pain was I carrying myself that was so poorly and wrongly being projected onto others?
I made a promise to myself that no matter what it took, I would get to the root of these issues and finally start to fix myself so I could be a better friend, a better partner, and a better man overall.
That being said, no amount of growth will ever take away the suffering I had caused. I will never be off the hook and I am fully accountable for my harmful behavior, and will be for my actions moving forward.
In my effort to be a better man, I have fought to get sober, but this time I’m doing it with professional help. Sobriety is a priority in my life, and so is my mental health. These, as I’m learning, go hand in hand.
But I will not bore anyone with stories of my demons or use them to excuse what I’ve done. I really want to express that I’ve internalized the importance of self-care and self-work. I’m really trying.
Music is how I lay my soul bare, and in working through this, I have written enough music to fill half a dozen albums.
Some of these songs are angry, many are sad but most of them are about the lessons I’ve learned over the last few years. Those ones an expression of my deepest remorse.
I hope that the people I’ve hurt will heal. And I hope that they will find a way to forgive me.
16 Comments comments associated with this post
JAGGERRICH
July 6, 2020 at 8:40 amFUCK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!! MAYBE HE HAD HIS REASONS AND YOU DON’T KNOW! SO QUIT BEING SO JUDGAMENTAL! YOU BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!1 TRUMP 2020!!!!!! OH, AND BY THA WAY——-Seth Myers cargo pants in his attic the covid from home late night: “When JUICY BRITCHES Trump says: “many peopr
oh jag
July 6, 2020 at 9:05 ameven your keyboard couldn’t keep up with your rant, Jagger… such a douche. who was talking about Trump again? if he’s always on your mind, maybe you should see somebody about it…maybe Pence can help you
Jim
July 6, 2020 at 9:47 amReasons? To force one’s self on women not wanting to have sex, never mind the accusations of some being under age? Its wrong to be judgmental against rape and child molesting? Trump? Somebody tried to blame him? Where? The only punk-bitch is YOU.
Jaggerrich
July 6, 2020 at 1:10 pmNot me Jim, you should know that. We’re sadly in the minority here, (as oft said) two who enjoy reading a jambands site for news, setlists, articles, et cetera, adding our comments here and there.
I have a feeling the “oh jag” post is that fool, delusional, replying to himself (eerie)….but if not, know it wasn’t me. Anyone can post any handle here. That Nick troll really should contemplate getting some help, or else suicide as a last resort. We’d all be better off, either way.
Jaggerrich
July 6, 2020 at 1:03 pmutter fool nick-thah-cunt (pz) / slash / ‘Karen’ in ALL WAYS. Lmfao @ you, you trumpy-sad-clown-bag-no shows ever-curmudgeon-toad.
****Dude, check into a mental health clinic. Your parents will drive you, if you can manage your severe depression enough to exit their basement.****
Cancel Kimmel
July 5, 2020 at 10:22 pmFair’s fair all y’all
I got high
July 5, 2020 at 7:58 pmFuck this guy
The Merchant
July 5, 2020 at 7:18 amKneel before Zod you disgusting goy
Palestinian Justice
July 6, 2020 at 6:32 amfuck you Zionist Cunt Boy
Ralph Howard
July 4, 2020 at 10:15 pmHere are some words, you are a fucking pussy pandering to the current trend of apologizing in hopes of squeezing a few more shekels of a dormant career! Girls like sex, they just won’t admit it freely and openly. If you did anything forced, they would be running to the cops… Grow a pair please.
Jim
July 6, 2020 at 9:42 amGirls do like sex but not when they say no and are forced. There are laws as to age of consent for a reason which it looks like Mr Adams may have violated. Please don’t come near my sister for YOUR own good. She has a permit to carry a congealed weapon and wouldn’t think very long as to using her “stand her ground rights” against a punk like you. And no not all females run to the cops. That’s why they lined up to take down Cosby along with Epstein after the incidents occurred and BOTH were convicted. Adams career was hardly in the middle of a dormant stage having signed a HUGE contract for three new albums until these accusations came out along with producing albums for Willie Nelson, Jesse Malin, Jenny Lewis, and Fall Out Boy, and collaborating with Counting Crows, Weezer, Norah Jones, America, Minnie Driver, Cowboy Junkies, Leona Naess, Toots and the Maytals, Beth Orton and Krista Polvere. He has written Infinity Blues, a book of poems, and Hello Sunshine, a collection of poems and short stories. He was bouncing along quite well.
RALPH HOWARD
July 6, 2020 at 11:01 amAlways great to hear from JIM, our voice of reason. Cosby, drugging women, got what he deserved. Epistein, if the women came back again for more, shame on them for being fooled more than once. I didn’t know he worked with Fall Out Boy! Please grant him amnesty …
Dave the Slave
July 4, 2020 at 9:55 pmDid it cut like a knife? I know. Low hanging fruit.
Deb
July 5, 2020 at 3:47 pmWrong musician, unless that was part of your joke. Ironically, I couldn’t name a single Ryan Adams song even under threat of torture.
onenitemike
July 5, 2020 at 4:29 pmSomehow i don’t think it was part of the joke Deb but i thought the same thing.
I’m pretty immersed in the scene and also couldn’t name a single song by Mr Adams, although i hear he’s a good songwriter.
Ryan Adams Issues Apology Regarding Sexual Abuse Allegations - Sad Songs
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