Anti-Flag singer Justin Sane (born Justin Geever) is facing further sexual misconduct allegations after 12 more women came forward with accusations in a new report.
The initial allegations came after fans tied a recent podcast episode dedicated to sexual assault in the music business to Sane. In the episode, Kristina Sarhadi gave a testimonial about being raped by a singer in a political punk band from the East Coast. Sarhadi didn’t specifically name the band or singer, but she did mention a March 2022 post on a Tumblr called The Industry Ain’t Safe, which reads, “Justin Sane from Anti-Flag. Am I really the only person this has happened to?”
Sane went on to issue a public statement denying the allegations, while the other members of Anti-Flag issued a separate statement, declaring that “the only immediate option was to disband.”
Now, in a new report from Rolling Stone, Sarhadi confirmed that her initial accusations were specifically about Sane. The report also included stories from 12 more women whose encounters with Sane included predatory behavior, sexual assault, and statutory rape, including sexual relations with a 12-year-old when Sane was a teenager.
Sarhadi’s recollection of her encounter with Sane echoes her graphic podcast retelling of the night she was allegedly sexually assaulted in a hotel room by Sane when she was 22 years old. The podcast episode and Sarhadi’s allegations led to other women coming forward with alleged encounters involving Sane spanning the ’90s up to 2020.
“I had no idea it happened to anyone else,” Sarhadi told Rolling Stone. “I felt stupid, embarrassed, and confused, because how could it have happened with this person? He is the anti-rape singer. They are the outspoken feminist band who released an album benefiting women victims of crime. It doesn’t make any sense. [But] even in nature, the worst predators have the best camouflage.”
Like Sarhadi, many of the alleged victims were female Anti-Flag fans who looked up to Sane as a politically-minded artist. Their stories involve a pattern of Sane eying them from the stage during the band’s performance, before scoping them out to meet and chat after the set. In many cases, Sane attempted to mask any predatory behavior with his public persona that championed feminist allyship and anti-bigotry in the punk rock community.
A running theme in the victims’ stories in the Rolling Stone report is the age gap between Sane and the alleged victims. Most were younger than Sane, who, in one case, allegedly told the victim he was 19 when was actually 30. One of the women in the article blamed Anti-Flag as a band for complacency regarding Sane’s allegedly recurring behavior.
“They knew how young everybody was,” she said. “There was a clear boundary that he kept crossing over and over that should have raised flags for everybody.”
Sane did not respond to Rolling Stone‘s inquiries regarding the latest round of accusations. However, the other members of Anti-Flag issued this collective statement to the publication: “We trusted everyone associated with the band to maintain a safe and respectful environment. The understanding that abusers can be anywhere further reinforces the importance of survivors speaking out and sharing their stories.… Further, we feel strongly that all predators must atone for their inappropriate actions and be held accountable.”
The full Rolling Stone report can be found here and contains content that some might find disturbing or triggering.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual misconduct, you can reach out for support:
RAINN Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
http://www.rainn.org
