Tilian Pearson, the clean vocalist for post-hardcore act Dance Gavin Dance, has stepped away from the band after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced this week. The news comes less than two months after the sudden and tragic passing of Dance Gavin Dance bassist Tim Feerick.
First, one woman posted on Reddit that she was assaulted by Pearson around the time of Dance Gavin Dance’s Swanfest in April. The woman detailed multiple encounters that described an erratic and intoxicated Pearson slapping her across the face and having forcible sex with her.
Pearson responded to the allegations on Reddit, saying, in part, “I take the subject of sexual assault seriously, and I want to firmly reiterate that there was no moment of anything happening that was not consensual.” But he also added, “My general state of mind surrounding the weekend was filled with grief, and I was leaning on alcohol as a crutch to get me through it.”
However, hours later another woman stepped forward, sharing her experience with Pearson on Reddit. This woman described herself as a longtime fan of the band who went on a date with Pearson, and found herself being coerced into having sex with him, despite telling him multiple times that she didn’t want to have sexual intercourse.
On Friday (June 3rd), Dance Gavin Dance announced via Twitter that Pearson was stepping away from the band in the wake of the allegations, while mentioning that they will soldier on with their touring obligations, as they previously decided to do following Tim Feerick’s death:
“The recent allegations against Tilian are something we take very seriously, and we have been in deep discussion regarding the appropriate action. Effective immediately, Tilian will be stepping away from the band in order to seek professional help. Jon, Will, Matt, and Andrew will continue on with all currently scheduled tours. The band will also be proceeding with the release of [new album] Jackpot Juicer as planned. We all worked incredibly hard on this album, and it is also the last recorded body of work from Tim – we want to be sure we give it the full release attention that it deserves to honor his legacy. We know that this is a very upsetting and trying situation for all those affected, and we ask people to please be as understanding as possible while everyone works through this. We appreciate you always.”
Dance Gavin Dance recently completed a headlining tour, and are next slated to support Coheed and Cambria on a summer US outing.
— Dance Gavin Dance (@DGDtheband) June 3, 2022