Garrett Borns, known as indie rock artist BØRNS, is denying allegations of sexual misconduct, manipulation and harassment made by multiple young female fans. In tweets beginning Sept. 21, the women described meeting Borns at concerts — some when they were teenagers — which led to years-long conversations via Instagram and Snapchat messages that, according to the women, turned into unwanted sexual encounters.
“I am both hurt and angered over the disturbing and false allegations that have been spread over the past few days on social media,” Borns wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “All of the relationships I had were legal and consensual. They ended abruptly and that obviously caused hurt feelings, but for anyone to suggest anything beyond that is irresponsible.”
“BØRNS has been a manipulator, horrible ‘friend’ and user,” wrote Twitter user @kaliforxnia (Nia) in a viral tweet posted Sept. 21. Since then, another young woman, Twitter user @alyssaadaniele (Lyss), has also come forward with allegations.
“He ignored my messages because I said no to going to his hotel room,” wrote Nia, who was 19 at the time. The next time he asked her to hang out, she says, he coerced her into his room by telling her the address was to a bar, not his hotel.
Both women described his behavior as “aggressive” and said that their encounters led to physical pain. Both women also reported feeling “manipulated” and feared losing what they perceived as a friendship with a musician they admired.
Related
“I idolized him,” Lyss wrote in a statement tweeted on Sept. 23. “He made me feel so special.”
Lyss, who was 16 when the relationship started two years ago — Garrett Borns is now 26 — described the singer’s overly sexual demands.
“He would ask me to send specific pictures and videos of myself, and I did. He asked me to so I did, and if I didn’t he would beg, or ghost me if I refused. I was 17….I tried to normalize things so many times, but it always led back into the sick lustful conversations that he used me for.”
“My idea of sex was turned into something that it shouldn’t have been because of him. I began to lose respect for myself,” wrote Lyss.
Nia responded to Borns’ statement via Twitter on Tuesday. “If you knew it hurt me & others, where is the apology?” she wrote.
Lyss shared a similar response. “This hurts more than anything you’ve ever done. you couldn’t even say sorry,” she tweeted Tuesday.