Several women who attended concerts by the German industrial metal band Rammstein have accused the band’s singer, Till Lindemann, of recruiting fans for sex during and after shows. The alleged interactions with Lindemann, were originally reported by the German TV news show Tagesschau, following a previous report published by the Munich newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
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These reports came prior to Rammstein’s sold-out, four-night residency at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany, which started on Wednesday (June 7), and have prompted concert promoters to ban afterparties and the band’s “Row 0” (row zero) access to the band directly in front of the stage.
In a statement on their Instagram page, which was translated by Google Translate, the band said it was taking the reports “extremely seriously” and asked its fans to reserve judgment about the women who have come forward.
“The publications of the last few days have caused irritation and questions among the public and especially among our fans,” read the statement. “The allegations hit us all very hard, and we take them extremely seriously. We say to our fans: It is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows—in front of and behind the stage.
The statement continued, “We condemn any kind of transgression and ask you: do not engage in public prejudice of any kind against those who have made allegations. You have a right to your point of view. But we, the band, also have a right – namely not to be prejudiced either.”
A 24-year-old Northern Ireland woman, who goes by Shelby Lynn on Twitter, alleged that she was left bruised and vomiting for 24 hours following her encounter with the band prior to their show in Vilnius, Lithuania on Saturday (May 20), which led her to believe that her drink may have been spiked. During the pre-party, Lynn was allegedly brought to a room under the stage and was joined by Lindemann. When she said she would not have sex with him, she shared that the singer became angry.
“Till did NOT touch me,” she later posted on May 30. “He accepted I did not want to have sex with him. I never claimed he raped me.”
The woman, who reported the incident to police in Lithuania, said that prior to the show, a woman, who goes by the name Alena Makeeva and calls herself a “casting director on tour with Till Lindemann,” was allegedly helping fans gain access to exclusive parties before and after the band’s shows via a private WhatsApp group. She was eventually texted an invite to join the “row zero” section during the concert, which included other women selected prior to the show.
According to several recent reports, the band has since banned Makeeva from attending future shows.
Additional stories of fans being reportedly “recruited” to have sex with Lindemann have started to come forward in reports and on social media threads.
No formal charges or investigations have been opened against Lindemann at this time.
Publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch, which published an anthology of Lindemann’s poems, 100 Gedichte (100 Poems), in 2020, recently revealed that it was parting ways with the singer, following the reports, along with a pornographic video from two years earlier that surfaced, showing the singer inserting his penis through a book of his poetry.
“It is with shock that we have followed public allegations against Till Lindemann in the last few days,” read a statement by the publisher. “Our sympathy and respect goes to the women affected.”
Photo by Isa Foltin/WireImage
