Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose Settles Lawsuit Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Axl Rose was suedin November 2023, by former Penthouse model Sheila Kennedy, who alleged that the Guns N’ Roses frontman had sexually assaulted her in a New York hotel room in 1989. Now, according to court filings viewed by Pitchfork, Rose and Kennedy have agreed to discontinue the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. In addition, according to Rolling Stonethe parties reached a private settlement, the terms of which have not been made public.

In a statement shared with Pitchfork, Axl Rose said, “As I have from the beginning, I deny the allegations. There was no assault.”

Rose’s attorney, E. Danya Perry, added, “Mr. Rose has suffered greatly from this lawsuit, and I am pleased that he will now be able to move on with his life.”

Kennedy previously discussed her experiences with Rose in No One’s Pether 2016 autobiography, and in the 2021 documentary Look Away. In a statement to Pitchfork at the time of the original filing, an attorney for Rose, Alan S. Gutman, wrote “Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today.”

Kennedy’s attorneys did not immediately respond to Pitchfork’s request for comment.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)

Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741