Darling Brando member Alex Mather responds to sexual misconduct allegations
Content Warning: This article covers an alleged sexual assault & harassment incident and may be triggering for some readers. If you or someone you know are affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Australian musician Alex Mather of now-defunct boy band Darling Brando has responded to claims of sexual misconduct on Instagram, saying he is “taking the allegations extremely seriously”.
Beneath The Glass Ceiling published the claims last Thursday, which included the alleged sexual harassment, assault and grooming in 2017 of a then 14-year-old girl.
“I can’t speak for the others,” Mathers wrote, “but I want to apologise for my behaviour in the past, as a 19-20-year-old, I didn’t understand how my words and actions can affect others.
“I’m very sorry for causing any distress, it was not my intention to hurt anyone and I’m certainly not proud of how I behaved at that time, I want to take ownership of this.”
Mather ended the post – which has been liked by over 400 of his 33,000 followers – by saying he can’t change the past and is working on “being a better man for the future”.
The alleged victim also claimed she was approached online by the band’s former co-manager, David Simon, who said he would be “investigating this matter” and taking “appropriate disciplinary action” against any talent found to be acting inappropriately.
As first reported by TMN last week, the boy band have since split from their major record label Sony Music Australia, and management company Top Dop Group.
As first reported by TMN last Wednesday, Tom Jay Williams announced on social media that he had left the group, saying his part in the band had become “increasingly untenable” for him.
The band consisted of Williams, Mather and Vlado Saric, and were touted by their now former label as “Australia’s hardest working boy band“.
Since the allegations appeared on Beneath The Glass Ceiling, further claims of misconduct have been levied at other members of the group on social media.