Axl Rose was sued, in November 2023, by former Penthouse model Sheila Kennedy, who alleged that the Guns N’ Roses frontman had sexually assaulted her in a New York hotel room in 1989. Now, according to court filings viewed by Pitchfork, Rose and Kennedy have agreed to discontinue the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. In addition, according to Rolling Stone, the parties reached a private settlement, the terms of which have not been made public.
Kennedy previously made similar allegations against Rose in No One’s Pet, her 2016 autobiography, and in the 2021 documentary Look Away, about sexual abuse in the rock music industry. In a statement to Pitchfork at the time of the original filing, Rose’s attorney, Alan S. Gutman, wrote “Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today.”
Pitchfork has reached out to attorneys for Rose and Kennedy for comment and more information.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
