Rex Orange County Charged With 6 Counts of Sexual Assault in the U.K.

British singer-songwriter Rex Orange County has been charged with six counts of sexual assault in his native U.K., Billboard has confirmed.

The charges stem from an accusation that the artist (born Alexander O’Connor) twice assaulted a woman in the West End on June 1. That was allegedly followed by four additional assaults against the same woman the following day: once in a taxi and three more times at his home in London’s Notting Hill district.

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On Monday (Oct. 10), O’Connor denied all counts during an appearance at Southwark Crown Court in London. He has been set free on unconditional bail ahead of a provisional trial date on Jan. 3.

The news was first reported by The Sun.

“Alex is shocked by the allegations which he denies and looks forward to clearing his name in court,” said a representative for O’Connor in an emailed statement. “He is unable to make any further comment because of the ongoing proceedings.”

O’Connor rose to prominence as Rex Orange County after being featured on Tyler, the Creator‘s 2017 album Flower Boy, including the single “Boredom.” He has released a total of four studio albums, the last two — 2019’s Pony and 2022’s Who Cares? — on RCA Records in the U.S. Both of those albums reached the top five on the Billboard 200, while Pony hit No. 1 on Top Alternative Albums. He has also tallied three singles in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart: “Pluto Projector,” “10/10” and “Face to Face.”

Chris Eggertsen

Billboard