Canceled musician Ryan Adams pens apology for hurting women

Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams in his Hollywood music studio

July 3, 2020 5:48 PM PT

After multiple women, including several high-profile musical collaborators and at least one then-underage fan, accused Ryan Adams of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior last year, the singer-songwriter shared an apology online Friday.

Adams, who last year denied allegations in a New York Times expose that he sexually harassed women, claiming he would help their careers, said he was sober and had secured professional help.

“There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career,” the indie rocker told Dailymail.com. He said a period of isolation helped him root out his issues. “To a lot of people this will just seem like the same empty bull— apology that I’ve always used when I was called out, and all I can say is, this time it is different.”

Adams’ ex-wife, Mandy Moore, singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and a now-20-year-old fan, reported to have exchanged sexually explicit messages with Adams as a minor, are among those who say he engaged in a years-long pattern of promising professional advancement alongside sexual advances, only to turn manipulative and abusive.

L.A.-based Bridgers recently told The Times in an interview that speaking about the situation was an opportunity to shed light on the “complicated nature” of what happened to her. “Ryan wasn’t some evil villain who I could see coming from a mile away,” she said. “He was my friend. So I think the more visibility [for such an experience], the better.”

His legal representative, Andrew B. Brettler had no further comment.

“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,” Adams said. “In my effort to be a better man, I have fought to get sober, but this time I’m doing it with professional help.”

As a result of the expose, one of his upcoming album releases, “Big Colors,” was canceled. Adams faced a backlash as other creators looked to distance themselves from him. Carl Newman of the New Pornographers, in an explicit tweet, derided him over “how he was treating his ex-girlfriend,” and singer-songwriter Torres asked readers to “remove the part of my Wikipedia page that says I consider Ryan Adams an influence.”

In his statement to the Mail, Adams said that since then he had 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,” Adams said. “Those ones an expression of my deepest remorse.”

He ended his apology with a request directed toward his accusers.

“I hope that the people I’ve hurt will heal,” the 45-year old wrote. “And I hope that they will find a way to forgive me.”