Model New’s Jesse Lacey Faces New Grooming Allegations

Lately, beloved rock band Model New – who cut up in 2017 – delighted followers by taking part in a number of new exhibits after which revealing a 24-date U.S. comeback tour. Now, vocalist/guitarist Jesse Lacey is dealing with new grooming allegations mere days after that reunion tour announcement.

The Latest Allegations Towards Lacey

This previous Friday (April 4), a consumer named Aiyana made a publish on Medium entitled “A Name for Accountability: Why Jesse Lacey and Model New Ought to Not Be Touring Proper Now.” She begins with the next clarification:

Disclaimer: The next account displays my private expertise and perspective. It’s based mostly alone recollections and interpretations of occasions. I don’t declare to talk for anybody else, nor am I making definitive statements in regards to the intentions or habits of others concerned. That is my private story, shared within the hope of elevating consciousness about grooming and energy dynamics within the music business.

Afterward, she describes her experiences in 2006 (when she was “a young person on the top of adolescence, making an attempt to navigate the complexity of id, self-worth, and relationships”). She continues:

Model New’s music outlined that point for me, and like so many others, I idolized Jesse Lacey. His lyrics spoke to the vulnerability of youth, the ache of rising up, and the confusion of unrequited love. To be seen by him as somebody worthy of his consideration was intoxicating — it felt like a validation of my value, my place on this planet, and my id as a younger girl.

What I didn’t understand on the time was that my admiration was being manipulated. Jesse knew precisely the way to make me really feel seen, even particular, utilizing the facility dynamic of a fan and a public determine to his benefit. His teasing remarks, like saying he wished I had been older, or making me really feel like I used to be the one he zeroed in on throughout his exhibits, had been disarming and flattering. However these moments, nevertheless harmless they appeared, had been half of a bigger sample of grooming.

From there, she offers intensive accounts of what occurred (the total scope of which is an excessive amount of to recap right here, so that you’re inspired to learn her full publish). She additionally discloses a number of photographs of her experiences with Lacey, together with ones that she says function prior accuser Emily Driskill.

As defined by Stereogum, Aiyana particulars “assembly Lacey and his tour supervisor along with her finest good friend.” Aiyana was 15 years previous and her good friend was 16 years previous (whereas Lacey was roughly 10 years older than them). After giving Lacey “handmade presents, he requested for [Aiyana’s] contact data,” and Model New’s tour supervisor offered each of them “VIP entry to varied exhibits and excursions, inviting them by AIM [AOL Instant Messenger]. They frolicked on the tour bus often.”

Stereogum add:

At a present in Kansas [in July of 2006], Lacey allegedly grew to become “playful” and “teasing,” and mentioned one thing alongside the traces of, “If we’re gonna be buddies, you’re gonna need to put up with slightly teasing now and again.” . . . [Lacey] would allegedly incessantly make feedback corresponding to, “I want you weren’t 15 years previous.” After one present, the tour supervisor allegedly despatched a textual content to Aiyana alongside the traces of, “You two are so cute — Jesse and I had been simply speaking about how we wish to snuggle with you each on the tour bus.”

Lacey would allegedly give shoutouts to Aiyana and her good friend onstage and dedicate songs to them, and on one event he invited them to a lakehouse to swim and even provided to drive them to Walmart to purchase swimsuits for them. They weren’t allowed to hitch the afterparty, however Lacey allegedly insisted on driving them again to [their] lodge.

When Aiyana, her good friend, and Lacey had been taking part in video video games on the tour bus one night time, Lacey was teasing Aiyana about one thing when she jokingly requested, “Why do you hate me a lot?” Lacey allegedly responded, “I don’t hate you, the reality is I’m in love with you, however you’re simply not sufficiently old for me to marry you but.”

When a Model New fan who was buddies with Aiyana obtained ahold of Aiyana and Lacey’s conversations and emailed them to Lacey, Lacey allegedly referred to as Aiyana and her mom to insist to maintain their relationship a secret. He mentioned one thing alongside the traces of, “You’ve change into a detailed good friend, certainly one of my finest buddies, really… and though we perceive our relationship, others won’t with out extra context.” From then on, if she was speaking to Lacey’s buddies, Lacey would make a remark like, “Cautious, she may take what you inform her and put it on the Web.”

In her publish, Aiyana additionally mentions:

In 2007, Jesse went out of his solution to meet up with me on two separate events in New York Metropolis once I was visiting with my mom and sister. Jesse not solely joined my household and I for dinner one night time, however galavanted round city with me one-on-one, taking me to his favourite music outlets and, surprisingly, gifting me a classic polaroid digicam. I keep in mind that as quickly as my mom was out of view, he put his arm round me and continued strolling with me down the streets of New York holding me nearer than he ever had earlier than. Once more — I used to be 16 years previous on the time.

Lastly, Aiyana reveals that Lacey’s actions led to her having “struggles with promiscuity, vanity points, and the event of advanced PTSD. . . . The sensation of being particular, of being the one he selected, appeared to be merely a part of his grooming course of. And for these of us who had been impacted, it’s a sense that haunts us to this present day.”

As of this writing, neither Lacey nor Model New have responded to those latest allegations.

READ MORE: Setlist + Video – Model New’s First 2025 Reunion Present Options 18 Songs

Earlier Allegations Towards Lacey

As already talked about, this isn’t the primary time Lacey has been accused of grooming. Again in November of 2017, Loudwire reported that Lacey was dealing with “a number of allegations of sexual misconduct, together with solicitation of nude photographs from two minors [Emily Driskoll and Nicole Elizabeth Garey].”

Particularly, Loudwire wrote, Garey’s since-deleted Fb publish discovered her writing about Lacey’s “makes an attempt to groom her in 2003, when she was 15 years previous. After assembly the band at a photoshoot, Lacey exchanged contact data with [her],” and he or she was “subsequently requested to ship bare footage of herself, which she consented to do. On the time, Lacey was 24.”

Afterward, “the contact between the 2 continued into Garey’s maturity, and when she was in her early 20s, Lacey . . . engaged in a Skype video chat along with her and he or she alleges that he masturbated.”

As for Driskill, Loudwire reported that she claimed that “Lacey’s sexual misconduct . . . occurred when she was 16,” and that she was “additionally solicited for nude photographs when she was 17.”

Loudwire continued:

Lacey allegedly despatched lewd photographs of himself in return and masturbated throughout Skype video chats with Driskill “numerous” instances as effectively, threatening that if she didn’t take part in his wishes that her contact with and entry to the band could be scaled again. She has additionally famous an encounter with the singer within the band’s inexperienced room at a present in Texas the place he pinned her in opposition to the wall, participating in undesirable bodily contact. On the time of this alleged incident, she was 18.

Following these allegations, Loudwire confirmed, Lacey launched a press release “proudly owning as much as is previous, however by no means immediately acknowledging the unique accusations of grooming a minor.” Particularly, Lacey defined that he “developed a dependent and addictive relationship with intercourse” early in his life whereas additionally reflecting on what he’s performed:

The actions of my previous have brought about ache and hurt to numerous individuals, and I wish to say that I’m completely sorry. I don’t stand in protection of myself nor do I forgive myself. I used to be egocentric, narcissistic, and insensitive in my previous, and there are a variety of people that have needed to shoulder the burden of my failures. I apologize for the harm I’ve brought about, and hope to have the ability to take the proper actions to earn forgiveness and belief.

As Loudwire famous in 2024, Model New already “meant on breaking apart in 2018” (following the discharge of, and subsequent tour for, 2017’s Science Fiction). Nevertheless, the accusations in opposition to Lacey prompted them to disband sooner.Going again to Aiyana’s publish, she additionally expressed that “Lacey shouldn’t be allowed to tour proper now” as a result of “to [her] data, he has but to call particular behaviors that had been problematic — just like the grooming, manipulation, and coercion — and he by no means reached out to the victims to try any type of restitution.”

Model New’s Reunion 

For a number of years after the preliminary accusations in opposition to Lacey, Model New stayed disbanded. Nevertheless, they reunited in December in 2024 through a “secret efficiency” in Nashville, Tenn. Final month, Model New introduced three 2025 reunion exhibits (which finally occurred in Texas, Kentucky and Tennessee), and on the finish of March, they introduced the aforementioned 24-date tour throughout the U.S.

They’re set to play from the tip of Could till the beginning of July, and at this level, it’s unclear if and the way the newest allegations in opposition to Lacey will affect these exhibits.

In the event you or somebody has been sexually assaulted, assets can be found for assist. Go to the RAINN web site (Rape, Abuse, and Incest Nationwide Community) or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).