Arts & Entertainment
Music duo PWR BTTM dropped from label after sexual abuse allegations
band member Ben Hopkins has been accused of being a ‘known sexual predator’
(Ben Hopkins and Liv Bruce of PWR BTTM. Screenshot via YouTube.)
Gay punk duo PWR BTTM has been dropped from their music label, and are on the verge of canceling their nationwide tour, amid sexual abuse and anti-Semitism allegations involving band member Ben Hopkins.
According to Jezebel, Kitty Cordero-Kolin wrote a Facebook post calling Hopkins a “known sexual predator” and alleged Hopkins had initiated “inappropriate sexual conduct” with multiple people. The post also included a photo of Hopkins posing and smiling with a swastika drawn in the sand.
An anonymous woman also spoke with Jezebel and alleged that Hopkins, “made sexually aggressive advances and started having sex with her without permission while also refusing to wear protection.”
Their management, Salty Artist Management, tweeted that it was cutting ties with the band.
— Salty Artist MGMT (@SaltyArtistMGMT) May 12, 2017
The label Polyvinyl, which released PWR BTTM’s album “Pageant,” also announced it will no longer be selling and distributing the duo’s music.
Numerous opening acts for PWR BTTM’s tour have pulled out of planned shows including T-Rextasy, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Tancred and iji in response to the allegations.
The duo has begun canceling scheduled shows, including its D.C. date at the Black Cat on June 16, with rumors swirling the tour may get canceled altogether.
PWR BTTM released a statement addressing the situation on their Facebook page calling the allegations, “a surprise.”
“We want to respond to some very serious allegations that have been made against Ben. The allegations come as a surprise, but we are trying to address them with openness and accountability,” the statement begins.
“Unfortunately we live in a culture which trivializes and normalizes violations of consent. There are people who have violated others’ consent and do not know. Ben has not been contacted by any survivor(s) of abuse. These allegations are shocking to us and we take them very seriously. Further, the alleged behavior is not representative of who Ben is and the manner in which they try to conduct themselves,” the statement continued.
PWR BTTM notes that they have set up an email address for survivors of the alleged abuse, or someone working with a survivor, to discuss the allegations.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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