(New York) A musician filed a complaint Wednesday against the former head of the organization responsible for the Grammys, Neil Portnow, accusing him of drugging and raping her in a New York hotel room in 2018.
According to the complaint, obtained by the New York Times, the plaintiff began “feeling bloated” after drinking a glass of wine offered by Mr. Portnow.
She then lost consciousness and woke up several times during the night, feeling that the manager was sexually assaulting her, in particular by trying to penetrate her “forcibly”.
The plaintiff, whose anonymity remains preserved, also accuses the Recording Academy – the American association of the recording industry, which notably organizes the Grammys – of negligence.
According to her, the organization ignored her testimony when she reported the rape to officials.
This complaint takes the organization back to the tumultuous years which have damaged its image.
After 17 years at the head of the Academy, Mr. Portnow was fired in 2019 after statements deemed sexist.
But in 2020, his replacement Deborah Dugan, herself landed after only a few months as boss, pointed out numerous dysfunctions within the organization and accused her predecessor of having raped a musician – the same one who filed a complaint , according to the New York Times.
According to her, this was the “real reason why her contract was not renewed”.
The musician in question has remained silent until now and Mr. Portnow has always denied the allegations. One of his representatives denied the new detailed accusations to the American daily.
They are “a figment of the plaintiff’s imagination” and are “undoubtedly motivated by Mr. Portnow’s refusal to accede to the plaintiff’s outrageous demands for money and assistance in obtaining a residence visa (in the United States) for her,” he reacted in a press release.
Contacted by AFP, the Recording Academy for its part said it was ready to “vigorously defend the Academy in this procedure”.
“We continue to believe that the complaints are unfounded,” she added.
