Modest Mouse has booted guitarist Simon O’Connor from its upcoming North American tour after he was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a teen fan.
The indie rock band announced Friday that O’Connor, who is in his 40s, will not join them on the road beginning Tuesday in Ojai, Calif.
“Simon O’Connor will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” the “Float On” rockers wrote on Instagram.
“The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar. We look forward to being out there with you all.”
On July 26, O’Connor was accused by a Reddit user, who identified themselves as a 17-year-old fan, of sending them “an erotic image” and commenting on their “bikini pics” through Instagram direct message.
The user, who posted a series of screenshots of their alleged conversations on the social platform, said they were 16 at the time of the interaction and had their date of birth listed in their Instagram profile.
O’Connor allegedly opened the conversation with a sticker reading, “Simon calls your bluff, BUZZZ,” before sending what the user described as a sexually explicit meme of a naked man.
The user responded by suggesting O’Connor’s account had been hacked.
“Wish I was hacked just had a party night and looking at everything with one eye ya know,” O’Connor allegedly replied.
“But you did blindside me with a gaggle of likes and then very little intro besides bikini pics so we are both to blame.”
O’Connor’s message was quickly deleted, but the recipient said they had taken a screenshot.
The user also alleged O’Connor viewed an Instagram Story counting down to their 17th birthday before later messaging, “sorry.”
O’Connor responded Monday in a lengthy statement, apologizing to the fan while saying he had mistaken them for someone he believed had repeatedly harassed him online using fake accounts.
“Throughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me,” O’Connor wrote on the Modest Mouse subreddit.
“I assumed that this was the same person I had dealt with before and, with poor judgement, I decided to reach out with a tasteless meme, a sticker that read ‘Simon calls your bluff,’ and an attempt to indicate that I recognized the ‘barrage of likes’ and similar photo content from the previous profiles…. Almost a ‘gotcha.’”
“After a few minutes, I realized that I had made a mistake and this was not the person who I had dealt with before,” he continued. “I unsent the messages and immediately ceased communication.”
“I’m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages,” O’Connor added.
“They didn’t deserve to be put in that position, and I’m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them. I know some people will choose not to believe me, and I understand that. I can’t change what’s happened.
“All I can do is tell the truth, take responsibility for my mistake, and apologize.”
The guitarist also wrote that he “unequivocally” opposes “any sexual behavior towards minors.”
The band did not explain O’Connor’s tour absence or say whether he remains a member in their statement Friday.
O’Connor joined Modest Mouse’s touring lineup in 2021 after performing in New York City’s music scene as Simon Doom.
He also appears on the band’s latest album, “An Eraser and a Maze,” which was released in June.
Fronted by Isaac Brock, Modest Mouse has been one of indie rock’s biggest bands since breaking through with the 2004 hit “Float On” and the platinum-selling album “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.”
Brock is now the band’s only original member following drummer Jeremiah Green’s death from cancer in 2022 at age 45.
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