Simple Plan have parted ways with longtime bassist David Desrosiers following allegations of sexual misconduct.
“Following recent public statements, David Desrosiers is withdrawing from the band in order to work on his personal issues,” Simple Plan said in a statement posted to social media. “We offer our deepest apologies to the women who were hurt by his actions. We are also sorry for all our fans who are disappointed by this regretful situation. We will, as a band, take time to pause, reflect, and put in place guidelines to prevent similar situations from happening.”
In his own statement, Desrosiers added, “Recent public statements have led me to acknowledge that some of the interactions I have had with women have caused them harm. I have decided to withdraw from the band and seek professional help to educate myself and act appropriately in the future. I am truly sorry for the harm I have caused to these women.”
As Exclaim points, out stories of Desrosiers’ alleged misconduct have been posted to the Twitter account @victims_voices. One of his alleged victims accused Desrosiers of making inappropriate comments to her when she was still underage and later began pursuing her for sex once she became of legal age. The victim also said that Desrosiers himself threatened to go to the police after she expressed concerns over his behavior.
Desrosiers had been a member of Simple Plan since 2000, primarily playing bass guitar.
