Who is Sheila Kennedy? Axl Rose sued for sexual assault by former 'Penthouse' model
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Axl Rose is confronted with sexual assault charges raised by former Penthouse model Sheila Kennedy. The reported incident occurred in the singer-songwriter's New York hotel room in 1989.
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, November 22, in New York Supreme Court, asserts that the victim was approximately 26 years old when Kennedy initially encountered Rose at a nightclub.
Sheila Kennedy went alone to Axl's alleged party
The lead singer of Guns N’ Roses had extended an invitation to the former model for a party, but her friend opted not to join, citing that she was 'not hot enough.'
She then went back to Rose’s with Riki Rachtman, who went on to become a host for MTV, reports The Guardian.
“Kennedy found Rose attractive and did not mind this encounter. She was open to sleeping with him if things progressed,” the suit read.
The victim claimed that she didn’t consent to the violent encounter later in the evening.
Kennedy alleges that she exited the room later during the party when Rose engaged in sexual activity with another model who displayed an "aggressive" behavior that seemed uncomfortable and painful for the model, making Kennedy uneasy.
Rose was in sexual rage, claims Kennedy
Upon leaving the room, she heard the sound of glass shattering and Rose screaming at the model. In response to the noise, Rachtman purportedly informed Kennedy, "It's going to get bad."
Kennedy claims that Rose reached out for her and then pushed her to the floor before dragging her.
The lawsuit contends that "he was in a sexual, volatile rage" and asserts that Rose forcibly penetrated Kennedy.
"He treated her like property used solely for his sexual pleasure," the suit stated. "Kennedy did not consent and felt overpowered."
In a statement, Axl Rose's attorney, Alan Gutman, refuted Kennedy's allegations, stating, "Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires."
The statement further added, "Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today. Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favor."
Kennedy had previously disclosed details of the alleged assault in her 2016 autobiography 'No One’s Pet' and in the 2021 documentary 'Look Away,' which focuses on sexual misconduct in the music industry.
The additional allegations in her lawsuit encompass domestic violence against Rose, incorporating claims of abuse from his former partners Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour.
Everly filed a lawsuit against Rose for abuse in a Los Angeles civil court in 1994, subsequently settling the claims out of court.