The release of Ryan Adams’s new album Big Colors has been shelved following accusations that the singer behaved abusively towards an underage girl.
According to the New York Times, the FBI is now investigating claims that he sent more than 3,000 text messages to the girl over a nine-month period starting in late 2014, when she was 15.
The 44-year-old singer-songwriter from North Carolina had planned to release three albums this year, with Big Colors due on April 19th.
Variety reports that Universal Music Group, which distributes Adams’ releases, has pulled the album from its schedule, and the website for Adams’ own label, Pax-Am, has deleted the pre-order pages for the new album.
Adams is due to begin his next tour at Dublin's Olympia Theatre on March 30th and 31st. The Irish Times has reported that the concert promoters, MCD, has not responded to a query about whether the shows will go ahead.
Adams has denied that he "ever engaged in inappropriate online sexual communications with someone he knew was underage" in a statement through his lawyer, Andrew B Brettler. On Thursday Brettler told the New York Times that he had not been contacted by law enforcement. Lawyers for Ava, who is now 20, declined to comment to the paper.
I am not a perfect man and I have made many mistakes. To anyone I have ever hurt, however unintentionally, I apologize deeply and unreservedly.
— Ryan Adams (@TheRyanAdams) February 13, 2019
Adams tweeted, "I am not a perfect man and I have made many mistakes. To anyone I have ever hurt, however unintentionally, I apologize deeply and unreservedly."
After the New York Times published its initial report on Wednesday, Adams tweeted an apology to "anyone I have ever hurt, however unintentionally", and disputed the reports. "I would never have inappropriate interactions with someone I thought was underage. Period."
The report detailed further allegations of controlling behaviour by Adams towards women with whom he formed romantic and mentoring relationships.
Mandy Moore, Adams’s ex-wife, has said: "Music was a point of control for him." The singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers said Adams had supported her musical career when she was 20 and he was 40. They began a relationship that she says turned obsessive and emotionally abusive.
