Austin Carlile, the former frontman OF MICE & MEN, has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who claims that Alternative Press shelved a story that would have exposed multiple alleged transgressions.
The accusations against Carlile were widely circulated following a Twitter thread by Jonathan Stiffler, the husband of one of the singer’s accusers.
The comments came in response to an article published by Alternative Press covering Carlile‘s June 4 Tweet concerning the media, the Black Lives Matter movement and Covid-19 where Carlile proclaimed that Jesus “is coming back soon.”
Caitlyn Stiffler posted a lengthy open letter to Alternative Press, asserting that the publication buried an investigative story that would have reported multiple acts of alleged sexual assault by Carlile.
“A few years back, realizing the extent of the damage done, I organized a group of women (MANY) who had been raped or sexually assaulted by Austin Carlile over the years to be interviewed by AltPress,” Stiffer wrote. I knew him personally, I worked in the scene & I married one of his victims.”
“These women sat & told AltPress in gruesome detail their accounts of rape at his hands,” he continued. “There’s so many victims. I sat in on a few of these conversations & I know they were told about the assaults by the women themselves. Multiple women. I still have the messages between us all. After months of interviewing victims and putting together the story, right before it was going to run — AltPress killed it because they were open to being sued by Austin and his lawyers. This was devastating. So many recounted their worst memories and for what?”
“Today, I saw his article in AltPress,” Stiffer added. “I don’t even have words. I’m shocked and disgusted that they would give a man that they know is a serial rapist that opportunity? Them killing the story was bad enough, but to let him espouse his ‘faith’ on their platform was heinous. So, AltPress owes us answers. Hell, they don’t owe us answers — they owe that group of women answers as to why they did this. Why they gave this truly disgusting excuse for a person a platform for his ‘faith.’ I never thought I’d see this. I’m sick. They knew what he is.”
Jonathan‘s wife, Caitlyn Stiffler has also posted a lengthy open letter to Alternative Press, which reads as follows:
“Dear Alternative Press,
“Remember when over 15 girls shared their stories with you about this serial rapist? Because I do. I was one of them,” she wrote. “Now you want to not only share HIS nonsense, but you want to put his name next to Jesus? No, just, no. It’s not okay.
“The alternative community has followed you for YEARS. I followed your stories so closely all through high school and watched my artist friends be featured by your magazine. To be contacted by you to share my story, in hopes that it wouldn’t keep happening to other girls, felt like a dream. Finally there was something I could do, considering I was told by law enforcement that there was nothing else I could hope for with no physical evidence. I never thought anyone would believe me or take this seriously, then there was your magazine asking us to share.
“He not only raped girls, probably more than anyone even knows about, he was a predator seeking out underage girls by using his position in the music industry to do so,” Caitlyn continued. “He threatened you with a lawsuit and you backed down. I get it, who would want to be involved in that when you could just… not. That was your choice, a choice none of us had. We can’t just let it go and forget. I for one had hoped that you would at the very least stop featuring him. Guess I was wrong to hope that.
“He needs [to be] CANCELLED,” she added. “Get him out of these kids’ faces who believe he’s a good person deserving of recognition.”
Alternative Press later posted the following message on Twitter: “For legal purposes regarding the Austin Carlile accusations, the story couldn’t run as told. As a female-led, lgbtq+ editorial staff, we’re going to reopen this & find the answers you’re looking for. We do not condone any of the accusations & this story WILL be heard.”
