Buzzfeed has acquired a notarized statement today from Joanie Faircloth, the woman who last year accused musician Conor Oberst of rape. In the statement, which you can read below, Faircloth, whose real name is Joan Elizabeth Harris, recants her claims and says her accusations that Oberst raped her a decade ago in North Carolina are “100% false.”
According to Gawker, Faircloth made the claims in the comments section of a December 2013 article on xoJane. Oberst, best known for his musical project Bright Eyes, has maintained his innocence, and in February sued the woman for libel.
Here is Faircloth’s statement in full:
“The statements I made and repeated online and elsewhere over the past six months accusing Conor Oberst of raping me are 100% false. I made up those lies about him to get attention while I was going through a difficult period in my life and trying to cope with my son’s illness. I publicly retract my statements about Conor Oberst, and sincerely apologize to him, his family, and his fans for writing such awful things about him. I realize that my actions were wrong and could undermine the claims of actual sexual assault victims and for that I also apologize. I’m truly sorry for all the pain that I caused.”
Buzzfeed reported that Oberst’s publicist also had a statement to accompany that of Faircloth’s. “Ms. Faircloth had no physical contact with Mr. Oberst at the Durham, NC show she claimed was the location of the alleged sexual assault,” it read.
Oberst, meanwhile, is scheduled to perform at Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island later this month. His latest album, Upside Down Mountain, was released in May.
Here is a copy of the notarized letter issued today:
