Producer and DJ The Gaslamp Killer has been accused of drugging and raping two women after a party.
The DJ, whose real name is William Benussen, was named by reported victim Chelsea (who has asked to have her full name withheld) via Twitter on October 13.
i've been silently suffering over this for many years. the gaslamp killer drugged and raped my best friend and myself 4 years ago pic.twitter.com/yvJM5HEJay
— chelsea (@chelseaelaynne) October 13, 2017
Following the reaction to her tweet, Pitchfork reached out to Chelsea, about why she was coming forward with her story now. Chelsea responded:
“I’m coming forward because I need to move on. I never wanted it to be real. I never wanted to be a victim. It was eating at me every day and I would push it as far back as I could. It felt like a constant weight on my shoulders. I would have to see his face on social media or at events and want to scream at the top of my lungs ‘do you guys know this guy raped me and my best friend?’ I finally was able to process that it wasn’t my fault, I’m not less of a person for what happened to me.
I needed to confront it for the sake of my mental health and for the sake of other women. Women need to feel safe coming forward with their stories of abuse and if this helps to normalize it and make other women feel safer, the pain from having to relive it in telling it is 100% worth it. i’m not sure what exactly sparked it, but I finally felt strong enough to see myself as a survivor and not as a victim. I truly hope this helps others confront and move on from their own experiences of sexual assault.”
Benussen also responded to the allegations, issuing a statement that denied the allegations against him:
“My name is William
I think it’s important that I be a part of this conversation. Firstly, I want it to be known that I would never hurt or endanger a woman. I would never drug a woman, and I would never put anyone in a situation where they were not in control, or take anything that they weren’t offering. Consent is intimate, and has left room for people who were not present to wonder what happened. In this case consent was between three people, in the form of an offer which I accepted. Allegations carry a lot of weight on social media these days, and the bravery of women who expose their stories can create necessary dialogue that leads to real change. But Chelsea’s version of this story is not true. I am thankful that I have been contacted by witnesses and my roommates at the time, in support. Please know that while I am shocked, I take this all very seriously. It is all so sensitive and needs to be treated with the utmost care and attention.
Sincerely,
William.”
Despite the Gaslamp Killer’s protests of innocence, he has already been dropped from LA-based events collective Low End Theory, with whom he has often performed. Low End Theory also issued their own statement through Twitter, confirming the severing of their ties with Benussen.
Official statement pic.twitter.com/qybnX4bdem
— Low End Theory (@LOWENDTHEORY) October 13, 2017
