When allegations began surfacing against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, and then later other famous men like Louis CK, Jeremy Piven, and even CBS News anchor Charlie Rose – it wasn't easy to wonder when musicians would be called out for their inappropriate behavior. We've already seen allegations against a few musicians, and today Gene Simmons has been put in the hot seat.
Simmons was banned from Fox News last week, after acting inappropriately towards some women who worked there. Shortly after being asked about the Weinstein allegations on a show, and claiming to support women, Simmons barged into a conference room, unbuttoned his shirt to expose his chest and started yelling “Hey chicks, sue me!” According to a report from The Daily Beast, "he starting telling Michael Jackson pedophilia jokes, and then bopped two employees on the head with his book, making derisive comments about their comparative intelligence according to the sound their heads made when struck." Simmons was escorted out of the building and now there is a photo of his at the front security desk, with an advisory not to be let onto the premises.
Shortly after the news broke, a representative of Simmons' reached out to Metal Injection with comment from Gene, who expressed that he felt his actions were "highly exaggerated or misleading." His full statement:
I have appeared frequently over the years on various Fox News and Fox Business programs and have a tremendous amount of respect for the talented women and men who work there. While I believe that what is being reported is highly exaggerated and misleading, I am sincerely sorry that I unintentionally offended members of the Fox team during my visit.
All the news about Simmons prompted a woman, voice actress Mary E. McGlynn, to come forward with her account of how Simmons sexually harassed her:
I was hesitant to tweet this, but it has to stop. This happened to me today when I ran into Gene Simmons. #MeToo pic.twitter.com/P3oSyae2nj
— Mary E. McGlynn (@MaryEMcGlynn) November 18, 2017
I shared this story publicly because I really feel it's about how we react. I can't control @GeneSimmons behavior (who blocked me, btw – never tagged him in the original tweet, he never apologized).
We CAN control our reaction.
Speak out.
You're not alone. #MeToo #StandTogether https://t.co/Qh4P8cGf9y— Mary E. McGlynn (@MaryEMcGlynn) November 19, 2017
As her tweet went viral, another woman responded to McGlynn with her own story of improper conduct by Simmons:
I believe you. I met him at SDCC in 2004 when he was brought by the Heavy Metal booth. He hugged me and then told me I was keeping the candy away from him (hugging with just my upper body) He grabbed my hips and thrust against me. I'm so sorry this happened to you.
— Tess Fowler (cancer in remission! surgery soon) (@TessFowler) November 18, 2017
It turns out Dr. Love has been accused of some malpractice. While Gene has made a career of bragging about how many women he's slept with, it's clear some women are no fans of his approach, and some of it is a little too forward.
Simmons has not responded to these accusations.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRMnCRoDguc[/youtube]
