Ryan Adams, an American singer and songwriter has issued an apology for his past behaviour after being accused of sexual and psychological abuse by multiple women.
He was named by at least a dozen people, including his ex-wife Mandy Moore and singer Phoebe Bridgers, for his alleged misconduct.
The 45-year-old who was married to the This Is Us actress and singer from 2009-2016; penned a regretful essay addressing the allegations made by Moore and six other women in Feb. 2019 via the New York Times.
The alleged victims claim the singer used his power as a successful singer-songwriter to entice young; up-and-coming female singers with career opportunities but also pursuing them sexually. At the time, Adams denied the accusations.
“There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career,” he said in the essay posted via The Daily Mail and confirmed by Adams‘ attorney to EW.
“All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple. This period of isolation and reflection made me realize that I needed to make significant changes in my life. I’ve gotten past the point where I would be apologising just for the sake of being let off the hook. And I know full well that any apology from me probably won’t be accepted by those I’ve hurt. I get that and I also understand that there’s no going back.”
On becoming a better man
Ryan Adams admits his actions may seem skeptical or in-genuine to some, but he’s putting in the work to become a better man. This includes processing his actions through music, enough, he says, that he could fill half a dozen albums.
“There is no way to convince people that this time is truly different. But this is the albatross that I deserve to carry with me as a result of my actions,” he continued.
“Realising the consequences of my actions, I took a hard look inwards and sought to find the truth behind them. What pain was I carrying myself that was so poorly and wrongly being projected onto others? I made a promise to myself that no matter what it took; I would get to the root of these issues and finally start to fix myself so I could be a better friend, a better partner, and a better man overall.”
