• News

• All

L to R: Orri Páll Dýrason, Jónsi, and Georg Hólm

Oct 01, 2018 By Christopher Roberts Sigur Rós

Orri Páll Dýrason, drummer with Iceland’s Sigur Rós, has left the band after being accused of sexually assaulting Los Angeles-based artist Meagan Boyd in 2013. In an Instagram post last week Boyd wrote that she was inspired by “Dr. Christine Blasey Ford calling out Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh” and detailed the incident, alleging that Dýrason had sex with her without her consent while she was passed out drunk in his bed.

The remaining members of Sigur Rós, Jónsi and Georg Hólm, have posted to Facebook this morning the following statement: “In the wake of the extremely serious and personal allegations made against him in recent days we have today accepted the resignation of our bandmate Orri Páll Dyrason to allow him to deal with this privately.”

In a separate post today on Dýrason’s personal Facebook page he has written (in both Icelandic and English): “I will do anything in my power to get myself out of this nightmare, but out of respect for those actually suffering from sexual violence, I will not take that fight public.”

Read all the statements in full below.

Here is Boyd’s initial Instagram post from last week (her account has since been made private and her post may have also been taken down):

“In January of 2013 I was sexually assaulted by a member of the band @sigurros when they were in Los Angeles recording an album that was set to come out later that same year. My assailant’s name is Orri Páll Dýrason. I never reported it. I never expressed my pain publicly. I harbored this ache now for almost 6 years… for many reasons. I felt no one would believe me, I felt I had been irresponsible for trusting him just because he was in a band I loved and I respected him as an artist. I was drunk, and I had met him at a club (I had a brief period in which I was a dancer at a club called ‘the body shop’), I also engaged in a kiss with him before falling asleep in the same bed, after that I completely knocked out. I woke up with the feeling of being penetrated without my consent during a deep slumber.. it happened twice that night, and I wondered myself why I didn’t leave after the first time- but I was drunk, dead tired, in shock, and this was right before I ever heard of anything like Uber/lyft ... but none of that should matter because no one deserves to be raped/touched/licked/fucked without CONSENT. (((My heart is racing and I’m shaking just typing this.))) I wasn’t ready to go public in the midst of the hype of the #metoo movement because just speaking about it gives me intense anxiety and I was about to give birth to my first child. In the wake of the news of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford calling out Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, I was triggered to speak out myself. Ironically, he’s now engaged to feminist activist who is also the founder of the Icelandic Slut walk. #endrapeculture”

Here is Dýrason’s Facebook post today:

“I begin with thanking my friends and relatives for the support you have shown. It is good for me feel for your trust, despite the serious public allegations against me.

This matter has undeniably taken its toll on me for the past few days. Justifiably, some will say, and I do not intend to argue with those people. However, I sincerely ask the same people to steer their anger into the right path and abstain from dragging my family, and especially my wife, into this matter. At the same time, I ask people to stay calm and not to be divided into two battling armies, these are not court proceedings, just Meagan’s words against mine, on the internet. Loud and provocative words are in nobody’s favour - neither to me or her.

In light of the scale of this matter, I have decided to leave Sigur Rós. That is a difficult decision for me, but I cannot have these serious allegations influence the band and the important and beautiful work that has been done there for the last years. A job that is so dear to me.

I will do anything in my power to get myself out of this nightmare, but out of respect for those actually suffering from sexual violence, I will not take that fight public.

Love
Orri”

Pitchfork also reports that in another Instagram post Boyd has since taken down, she shared an alleged email conversation between herself and Dýrason from after her initial Instagram post went up. In it Dýrason denies any wrongdoing, allegedly writing, “My experience from that night is completely different from yours.”

Dýrason explained his recollection of the events in the alleged email exchange: “We had a nice night drawing and drinking at my flat; and then we went to bed. The next day you even wanted to stay and asked me if you could, but I had to go to the studio and you got upset about that. We had a good time together. I like your art and I think you are a talented artist and I enjoyed being with you.”

Boyd responded with a different take on the events: “I was not mad you had to leave at all! I was mad that I woke up to a fucking dick inside me without consent! You acted like you didn’t know why I was upset. I screamed at you telling you, ‘You don’t fuck people who are asleep!’ You asked me to stay and for my number and even invited me to go to the studio. I cried for the whole way home and after. I had trauma for months and for years have not been able to forget how awful you made me feel and how used and taken advantage of.”

Boyd added to Dýrason: “You are gaslighting me. Just fucking admit what you did.”

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.