Country artist Lindsay Ell stands with Jane Doe – the unidentified woman suing Jimmie Allen for assault, sexual battery, false imprisonment, sex trafficking, and emotional distress.
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Ell said she was surprised to learn about her former labelmate. The two joined forces in 2021 when she appeared on Allen’s “Tequila Talkin.’” The drinking song lives on Allen’s sophomore album, Bettie James Gold Edition.
“It was really, really heartbreaking to read that article,” Ell told Taste of Country. “It was just like, ‘This is crazy. This is crazy. It’s hard to believe.’”
In early May, Variety published a piece that included the report involving Allen’s day-to-day manager. Allen’s label BBR Music Group has since suspended him, and he has been taken off the CMA Fest lineup. His agency and management company also dropped him following the accusations.
Despite their professional relationship, Ell stressed that she would advocate for Jane Doe, Allen’s former team member alleging sexual assault. She applauds Jane Doe for using her voice and coming forward.
“I stand behind Jane Doe, as she is referred to in that article, in feeling like coming forward was what she needed to do, and sharing her story,” she said. “I hope it gives other survivors out there – whether they seek help or not – I hope it helps them through it.”
The songstress hopes that this case will significantly shift the dynamic of the music industry. The lawsuit also accuses Allen’s manager, Ash Bowers, and Bowers’ management company Wide Open Music of “gross negligence and participation in a venture engaged in sex trafficking.”
Jane Doe claims that the company knew about the sexual harassment but kept it on the down low. After filing a complaint in 2022 about Allen, Wide Open Music terminated her employment. Ell hopes to see change and a zero–tolerance policy implemented from here on out.
“It’s so easy for an organization, like, even a management company, to be like, ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s not that big of a deal.’ It’s easy to brush something off that is actually a very big deal,” explained Ell. “If a company hears that something may be going on, I hope we can create a culture and a society and an environment where that is not okay, and not tolerated. The minute that somebody is, even a little bit, like, ‘Something needs to be done about this,’ [the response shouldn’t be], ‘We’re gonna sweep it under the rug.’”
Ell is a survivor of sexual assault. The brave and resilient vocalist released “Make You,” a song that details her personal story with assault.
Photo Credit: Robby Klein/Courtesy of Stunt Company Media Inc.
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