On Monday, the woman who accused Conor Obert of raping her more than a decade ago in North Carolina issued a public apology, saying she made up the entire story. Now, the Bright Eyes singer has responded with a statement of his own, accepting the apology of Joanie Faircloth, whose real name is Joan Elizabeth Harris.
Here is Oberst’s statement in full, via Pitchfork:
I have accepted Joanie Faircloth’s apology and retraction to clear my name. This has been extremely difficult and stressful for me personally and for those I love. I’m appreciative of the family, friends, fans, and business partners who supported me throughout this and look forward to happier times as we all move forward with our lives.
Earlier this year, Oberst had filed a libel lawsuit against Faircloth for $1 million. In her statement on Monday, which you can read below, she described her remarks, which first surfaced last year in an online magazine’s comments section, as being “100% false.”
Oberst will perform live at next weekend’s Newport Folk Festival.
Here is Faircloth’s statement in which she recanted her rape claims, along with the notarized letter acquired by Buzzfeed:
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.
