Axl Rose Files to Dismiss Lawsuit from Former Model Who Sued Him for Alleged 1989 Sexual Assault

Axl Rose is working to get a former model to file a lawsuit against him claiming he sexually assaulted her.

On Feb. 21, the 62-year-old Guns N’ Roses rocker and his legal team filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him in November — the day before the NY Adult Survivors Act expired — by Sheila Kennedy, who claims he sexually assaulted her. taught in a hotel in New York in 1989.

In documents obtained by PEOPLE, Rose’s legal team references Kennedy’s 2016 memoir. Nobody’s pet, where he describes the alleged incident as “consensual sex.” They also highlight previous interviews she’s given, including one for a 2021 documentary Look awayin which she said she “didn’t consider it rape. It was consensual.”

Sheila Kennedy in Beverly Hills in April 2013.

Vincent Sandoval/WireImage

Axl Rose is being sued by a former model over alleged sexual assault and abuse in 1989, while the rocker denies the claims

The documents state that the former Penthouse the model revealed that she “could profit from claiming that the incident was not actually consensual” after the statute of limitations ran again.

“Kennedy cannot and will not succeed in this unscrupulous attempt at a financial windfall. This lawsuit will expose the falsehood of these vexatious and baseless allegations,” the lawsuit reads.

A representative for Rose had no comment.

Kennedy, now 61, filed the lawsuit Nov. 22 alleging sexual assault and battery in New York, alleging the singer “targeted” her by using his fame and celebrity status to “manipulate, control and violently sexually assault her “.

Rose’s attorney denied the claims at the time. “Simply put, this incident never happened. In fact, these fictitious lawsuits were filed the day before the New York state filing deadline,” attorney Alan S. Gutman said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “While not denying the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose does not recall ever meeting or speaking with the prosecutor, and had never heard of these trumped-up allegations before today. Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his benefit.”

The lawsuit claimed the former model left the club with Rose and his entourage to his hotel suite, where he allegedly “pushed Kennedy against the wall and kissed her,” although she said she didn’t mind because she was open to sex with him.

As the night continued, Kennedy claimed that Rose began to encourage group sex and became “uncomfortable” as she watched him have sex with another model. The lawsuit alleges that Kennedy left Rose’s bedroom and was later heard throwing glass and screaming at the model.

She claimed he then entered the room where she was sitting and knocked her to the floor, then “grabbed her by the hair and dragged her” back to his bedroom in a “very painful” encounter that left her knees bloody.

Once in Rose’s bedroom, Kennedy claimed he threw her to the floor twice and tied her hands behind her back with pantyhose before he “forced his penis into Kennedy’s anus” without seeking her consent.

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Guns N’ Roses 1988.

Ross Marino/Getty

Axl Rose is being sued by a former model for alleged sexual assault and abuse in 1989, and the rocker denies the claims

“He treated her as property to be used solely for his sexual pleasure,” the lawsuit alleged. “Kennedy did not agree and felt superior. She felt that there was no way out and was forced to agree. She believed that if she said no or tried to push him away, Rose would physically attack her, or worse. She figured it was safest to lie in bed and wait for Rose to finish her attack.”

In the complaint, Kennedy said the alleged attack left “a lifelong emotional, physical, psychological and financial impact” on her life and that she experienced PTSD-like symptoms when she heard Rose’s name or Guns N’ Roses music. She also claimed that the attack directly led to her being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and that it had a negative effect on her career, as she avoided nightclubs and social settings where he or his music might be.

The lawsuit also cited other instances of Rose’s alleged sexual abuse, including his arrest for alleged statutory rape (criminal charges were later dropped) and a 1994 PEOPLE cover story that featured interviews with his former partners Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour. Both women claimed Rose abused them and both filed lawsuits against him, though each case was settled out of court.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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Source: HIS Education