Arts & Entertainment
Singer Melanie Martinez denies raping former friend, says she ‘never said no’
musician Timothy Heller’s allegation has gone viral
Indie pop singer Melanie Martinez, 22, is denying sexual assault and rape allegations from her former friend and fellow musician, Timothy Heller.
Heller details the sexual assault in a lengthy Twitter post which has gone viral.
“I have kept this secret for years, convincing myself that it wasn’t a big deal and I wasn’t hurt by it. The thought of accepting that my best friend raped me seems insane,” Heller writes. “But I began to get responses I wasn’t expecting. Concerned ones. It’s hard to say someone you loved raped you. Someone you STILL love.”
Heller claims that one night Martinez repeatedly asked her to have sex.
“It went on for hours… I just wanted to sleep, I was exhausted,” Heller, who explained she had a boyfriend at the time and work in the morning, writes.
Heller says she kept refusing and without her consent, Martinez performed oral sex on her and penetrated her with a sex toy.
“I never said yes. I said no, repeatedly,” Heller writes. “But she used her power over me, and broke me down. Just so there is no confusion, I was molested by my best friend.”
When I wrote this story about my assault, I initially wasn’t going to make the abuser. But I think it’s important for you all to know this is about Melanie Martinez pic.twitter.com/4PQ5oNI2s9
— Timothy Heller (@timethyheller) December 4, 2017
Martinez denied the allegations in a social media post writing, “I am horrified and saddened by the statements and story told tonight by Timothy Heller. What she and I shared was a close friendship for a period of time. We came into each other’s lives as we were both starting our careers as artists, and we tried to help each other. We both had pain in dealing with our individual demons and the new paths we were forging, but I truly felt we were trying to lift each other up.”
The singer added, “She never said no to what we chose to do together. And although we parted ways, I am sending her love and light always.”
— CRYBABY (@MelanieLBBH) December 5, 2017
Many people took issue with Martinez saying that Heller “never said no” during the incident.
Lol @ the women defending Melanie Martinez right now….. y’all would be the first to attack a man accused of sexual assault but now that it’s a woman you like, suddenly there’s a chance the victim is lying?
— Alexis Isabel (@lexi4prez) December 5, 2017
“She never said no to what we chose to do together” – Melanie Martinez.
A person can say “no” in many different ways
for example: pic.twitter.com/ecFx1v9M8Q— mila kunis. (@6lacksbaddie) December 5, 2017
Melanie martinez’ excuse for raping her bestfriend is “she didn’t say no” and that’s all the rapists always say pic.twitter.com/SxIZey6Omq
— SOUDE (@ErebusMsr) December 5, 2017
A lot of text, but here’s my response to the Melanie Martinez story and my support for my friend, @timethyheller pic.twitter.com/tRSy0jaia4
— Joshua Goodson (@joshuanimal) December 5, 2017
Melanie this is a completely unacceptable response. Not saying no doesn’t mean yes. But for the record, she did and has stressed that numerous times. Shame on you for this disgusting reply that contributes to the victim culture we live in. @MelanieLBBH https://t.co/4nxCbxzofh
— Abigail Breslin (@yoabbaabba) December 5, 2017
Martinez was a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2012. She placed in the top six before releasing her debut album “Cry Baby” in 2015.
Arts & Entertainment
2026 Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles nominations
We are looking for the most eligible LGBTQ singles in the Washington, D.C. region.
Are you or a friend looking to find a little love in 2026? We are looking for the most eligible LGBTQ singles in the Washington, D.C. region. Nominate you or your friends until January 23rd using the form below or by clicking HERE.
Our most eligible singles will be announced online in February. View our 2025 singles HERE.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
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