In October 2022, the news broke that Rex Orange County, real name Alexander O’Connor, had been charged with six counts of sexual assault. It was alleged he had assaulted a woman over two days on June 1 and June 2, 2022, in London’s West End and at his home in Notting Hill.
O’Connor, 24, denied all of the charges against him and was released on unconditional bail. A provisional three-day trial date had been scheduled for January 3, 2023.
On December 22, O’Connor broke his social media hiatus to announce all of the charges against him had been dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service ruled the evidence “no longer met” its test for prosecution.
In a statement posted to his Instagram, O’Connor also addressed “inaccuracies” that had circulated in the press around the case and explained there was CCTV footage and statements that “did not support the allegations” made against him.
O’Connor wrote: “Today, all charges against me have been dropped.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial. Not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges.
“I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing.
“I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behavior of any kind.
“I would like to clarify some details around what I was accused of, as I have not been able to address this until now and inaccuracies about the case have circulated.
“I was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom. That led to six charges of sexual assault. The only evidence against me was the individual’s account
“However, CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events. Their partner was also present throughout the evening in question and gave a statement to the police, which did not support the allegations against me.
“It’s been a difficult time for everyone involved and I’d like to thank the people who have helped me through it, as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support.”
O’Connor catapulted to fame following his work on Tyler, the Creator’s 2017 album Flower Boy.
Since then, he has released three studio albums, Apricot Princess (2017), Pony (2019), and Who Cares? (2022), and dropped his latest, non-album single, “THREAT,” on August 9, 2022, just days before his final live show.
In July 2022, O’Connor said he would be stepping back from music, citing “unforeseen personal circumstances” which required him to stay at home for the remainder of the year. He canceled dates for his WHO CARES? tour in Australia, New Zealand and Europe, and performed his last U.K. show on August 13 at Gunnersbury Park in London.
Announcing the news on his social media channels on July 2, O’Connor wrote: “It is with a great deal of sadness to announce that due to unforeseen personal circumstances, I am having to spend some time at home this year and I will not be able to continue with touring as planned.
“The U.K./IRE dates will still go ahead this summer but Gunnersbury Park in London on August 13th will be the last show of the year. I am devastated to say that the Australia, New Zealand, and European shows scheduled for September and November will be canceled. All tickets will be refunded.
“This is the last thing I want to do. I love touring and I am so sorry to be letting anyone down. I look forward to getting back to it as soon as I can.”
Newsweek has contacted O’Connor’s representatives for comment.
