Four women have accused Victor Vazquez, formerly of indie-rap group Das Racist, of sexual assault, according to Pitchfork. In the detailed article, Vazquez’s estranged wife Saba Moeel, former friend Marta Martinez, former collaborator Andie Flores and an acquaintance who asked to be referred to as Senn detailed alleged non-consensual sexual activity that took place between 2006 and 2015.
In a lengthy statement to the publication, Vazquez confirmed the sexual encounters but claims that he believed them to have been consensual. “It was never my intention to hurt anybody, but through ignorance, entitlement and ego, I now see that I have,” he wrote.
The article describes each encounter, which are similar in their details, and Vazquez responds specifically but similarly to each, claiming that he believed them to be consensual and in some cases that both parties were inebriated at the time. While the women generally stop short of accusing Vazquez of rape, all four — including Vazquez’s ex-wife, with whom he has a child — speak of him aggressively and persistently attempting to have sex with them, at times doing so when they were asleep, despite their resistance. One of the women became pregnant after the encounter; Vazquez paid for her to have an abortion and accompanied her home after the procedure, they both confirmed.
It wasn’t until after the abortion that “the flood of negative feelings started to hit me,” the woman said. “Feeling extremely violated by this person who at certain points in our friendship was my best friend. I was embarrassed that that had happened to me. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I was actually a victim of his actions.”
In his statement, Vazquez said, “I know I still have a lot of unlearning to do regarding sex, ego, pride, and masculinity. I’m learning to recognize the toxic ideals of masculinity that I unthinkingly bought into. I compulsively sought validation through sex, selfishly unaware of the harm I was causing. I’m trying to be vigilant about consent, have more direct conversations, check myself and really be present and attentive to the wants and needs of the women in my life and not just in sexual relationships but in my relationships with all women.”