Seal denies groping claims

More celebs, more dirty laundry, more denials…

Former Voice coach Seal has denied an allegation that he groped a woman visiting his Los Angeles home in 2016.

Tracey Birdsall, an actor who lives nearby, told TMZ that the pair initially became friends but after going to Seal’s house, Birdsall says he began to forcibly kiss and grope her, despite her demands that he stop. She then left the house and broke off all contact with him.

Birdsall says she was moved to make the accusations after Seal called on women to share stories of sexual harassment, in a Facebook video.

“To all of you who have been raped and sexually abused, I applaud you for coming forward,” he said. “What you did takes real courage, and please keep showing that courage and please keep coming forward, because that’s the only way we get to solve this thing – we talk about it, we open dialogue, we solve it.

“Not one of the women who have come forward have received any real justice whatsoever,” he lamented, adding that the perpetrators losing their jobs was “not real punishment”.

A statement from his publicist said that Seal “vehemently denies” the accusations and “intends to vigorously defend himself” against them.

Seal made headlines following the Golden Globes, when he posted a picture of Oprah Winfrey with Harvey Weinstein on Instagram, accusing the TV star of knowing about Weinstein’s misconduct but staying silent. “#SanctimoniousHollywood,” he tagged the post.

He clarified he wasn’t attacking Oprah but “the hypocritical and double standard nature and behaviour of Hollywood.”

Nine declined to comment on the allegations, but a spokesperson told Fairfax they’d never heard or received any complaints of that nature regarding Seal during his time on the show.

Seal is not returning to The Voice, replaced this season by Joe Jonas.

Source: The Guardian