Rose Hitchens
Multiple accounts detailing allegations of sexual assault by pop-punk bank All Time Low’s guitarist Jack Barakat have emerged online over the past few weeks.
The guitarist is part of the pop-punk band All Time Low formed in 2003. The four-piece who hail from Baltimore, Maryland, consists of Barakat, lead singer Alex Gaskarth, drummer Rian Dawson, and bassist Zack Merrick. The group reached mainstream success from the mid-2000s to late-2010s with hits such as Dear Maria, Count Me In and Weightless.
Barakat, aged 33, has been alleged to have had sexually abused multiple underage fans in numerous posts which have gone viral across various social media platforms over the past few weeks
More recently, the Baltimore group reached number one on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart for their 2020 hit song Monsters featuring Blackbear. Barakat, aged 33, has been alleged to have had sexually abused multiple underage fans in numerous posts which have gone viral across various social media platforms over the past few weeks.
Most notably, a now-deleted Tik Tok which later went viral was posted, levelling allegations of misconduct against the entire band. The clip was captioned “Me telling everyone about how a famous pop-punk band let me on their tour bus when I was 13 and people would tell me how nice it was of them.”
While the Tik Tok did not mention any of the members of the band nor the band itself directly, the comment “They’re not even that punk they write songs about champagne and kids,” was left under the video by the original poster, leading many to believe this was a subtle reference to the band’s song’s Poppin’ Champagne and Kids in the Dark.
Supposedly, the incidents persisted over the course of the band’s 2011 tour, and subsequent tours, ending when the victim was 21 years old
Following this, an anonymous Twitter account entitled @ATLstatement posted a now-deleted statement accusing Jack Barakat of grooming and sexual assaulting her, with incidents allegedly dating back to 2011 when the woman was 15 years old. Supposedly, the incidents persisted over the course of the band’s 2011 tour, and subsequent tours, ending when the victim was 21 years old. The post also claimed that a member of All Time Low witnessed her being assaulted by Barakat.
A statement from the four of us. pic.twitter.com/tazxZAKOkr
— All Time Low (@AllTimeLow) October 25, 2021
In a statement released on Monday to All Time Low’s official social media accounts, the band denied all claims levelled against them and Barakat. “We have to state with outright certainty that what is being said about us is completely and utterly false,” the statement read. The band continued that they “stand with victims” of abuse, and “will be seeking legal recourse” against any and all sources of alleged sexual misconduct.
Barakat added to the statement, “While the four of us wrote this statement together, I feel the need to personally refute the claims being made against me and us, as they are 100% false”
In a separate quote-tweet posted on his personal twitter account, Barakat added to the statement, “While the four of us wrote this statement together, I feel the need to personally refute the claims being made against me and us, as they are 100% false”.
Responding to the band’s statement and the allegations brought against Barakat, fans flocked to social media to express their frustrations and disappointment. One Twitter user called the band’s statement “defensive” citing an “absolute lack of accountability and unwillingness to TRULY listen to your fans.” Another user tweeted “just because someone is your best friend, doesn’t mean they’re not capable of abuse.
Moreover, some twitter users saw these recent allegations coming to light as a chance to share their own stories of inappropriate experiences with Barakat. “When I was 14, I was encouraged to ask Jack to sign my boobies … and he didn’t even blink twice,” one twitter user shared.
Users also shared various videos of Barakat making inappropriate jokes while performing on stage
Users also shared various videos of Barakat making inappropriate jokes while performing on stage. “If this is what he was doing in front of everyone, Lord only knowns what was going on behind closed doors,” a Twitter user captioned a video showing Barakat “sexualising” the Twitter user when they were 17.
While All Time Low are continuing on with their scheduled shows for the next few weeks, as of Wednesday 27th October, Meet me @ The Altar and nothing, nowhere. have announced they will be pulling out of their upcoming shows with All Time Low. The group’s ongoing North American tour is due to run until 12th November.
If you, or anyone you know needs help, advice, or more information regarding sexual assault, harassment, or rape, please visit https://rapecrisis.org.uk/.
Rose Hitchens
Featured image courtesy of Vanessa Lynn. via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @AllTimeLow via twitter.com. No changes made to these images.
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