On the same day that Ariel Pink and John Maus appeared in Washington, D.C. at a pro-Trump rally that left five people dead, Pink had civil harassment restraining orders he filed in Los Angeles against his ex-girlfriend and bandmate, Charlotte Ercoli Coe, dismissed.
As reported by Pitchfork, the case was “stricken and dismissed” by Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Laura Cohen. Pink filed the papers last August, saying that Coe was “falsely claiming” that he was a sexual predator who “committed sexual offenses almost three years ago.” Pink’s complaint also accused Coe of threatening to blackmail him or report him to the police.
In response, Coe filed a motion of her own in October in accordance with California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is meant to dissuade people from filing frivolous suits to intimidate. In her filing, Coe accused Pink of the aforementioned misconduct and abuse, including being physically attacked after a show in 2017.
“I began dating [Pink] in 2015, when I was 19 and [Pink] was 38,” Coe’s declaration stated. “It was a tumultuous relationship, characterized by a power imbalance: [Pink] was 19 years older than me; [Pink] was famous, and I was not; [Pink] was established in the music business, while I was just beginning my music career.” She goes on to say that Pink “bullied [her] into [having] unprotected sex with him,” “infected [her] with herpes after [the two] had unprotected sex,” and “illegally distributed naked pictures” of her “to some of his fans.”
Coe also said that Pink sent her aunt a text message that he gave Coe herpes and “sent private nude pics” without her consent.
In a Nov. 2 filing, Pink denied the accusations, saying the “claims that [he] is a sexual predator, physically abusive, and a pedophile are intentionally false, misleading and defamatory.”
Thomas Mortimer, Pink’s lawyer, told Pitchfork that Pink intends on appealing the ruling.
You can read more at Pitchfork here.
