Melanie Martinez accused of rape

Singer Melanie Martinez was trending at number one worldwide this morning (5 December 2017) after longtime friend Timothy Heller accused the former Voice contestant of rape.

In a series of notes posted to Twitter, Heller wrote about how Martinez — her best friend at the time — had begged her for sex two nights in a row and eventually bargained with her until Heller felt powerless to stop the interaction.

“I’m not sure how to end this story,” Heller wrote. “Girls can rape girls. Best friends can rape best friends. Friendship does not equal consent. Silence does not equal consent. I wish it wasn’t so hard for me to convince myself of these things.”

‘Girls can rape girls,’ Heller said after accusing Melanie Martinez of rape

“Melanie Martinez” was trending almost immediately after the accusation was posted. While a few fans are doubtful of Heller’s claims — as is often the case with sexual assault allegations — most have denounced the musician.

Others referred to Martinez’s music while expressing their belief in Heller’s allegation.

Martinez has long adopted a child-like persona dubbed Cry Baby — also the name of her debut album. In the album, the singer touches on subjects like mental illness, rape, and kidnapping, all wrapped in a candyfloss exterior.

Martinez’s YouTube page has lost nearly 3000 subscribers since the news broke, according to analytics tool SocialBlade.

The artist issued comment on Twitter, claiming Heller “never said no to what [they] chose to do together”.

Updated to include statement from Martinez.

Feature image: DeShaun Craddock via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0, resized)

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