Half a year after settling a sexual abuse lawsuit against him, Bassnectar has filed suit against the creator of the @evidenceagainstbassnectar Instagram account.
Bassnectar said in February he was “relieved” to be finished with a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against him by four women after both parties reached a settlement. But he now looks to spend more time in court, as he’s filed a defamation lawsuit against the creator of the @evidenceagainstbassnectar Instagram account.
The complaint, filed in an Arizona superior court, accuses David Montana Billings aka DB Montana of having started the account. In 2020, it became instrumental in derailing the career of Bassnectar (real name Lorin Ashton) as Billings allegedly used it to publish apparent screen shots of sexual misconduct accusations sent to the account. Also among the defendants are anonymous John and Jane Does who might be named later pending further investigation.
According to the suit, though, Billings had harassed Ashton online as far back as 2015. Initially, Billings allegedly “tweeted at” Ashton with “unsubstantiated smear campaigns,” and later told him in an email, “I wanted to kill you. Still do.”
And while Ashton claims to have beefed up his security detail as a result of Billings’ alleged threats, it was @evidenceagainstbassnectar that did the most damage to his professional career. In July 2020 — around a month after the now-scrubbed account was created — Ashton announced that he would take a step back from music amid allegations that he had sex with underage girls. As recently as last year, he was forced to cancel events in Atlanta and Las Vegas on account of his tarnished reputation.
“As a direct result of Billings’ statements, [Ashton and his companies] have suffered loss of reputation, shame, humiliation, emotional distress, and other damages, both economic and non-economic, including but not limited to alienation from colleagues, friends, and community members; emotional distress manifesting as anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression; and harm to Plaintiffs’ business and professional reputation,” reads part of the complaint.
In April 2021, Rachel Ramsbottom and Alexis Bowling filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Ashton that was later joined by alleged victims Jenna Houston and an anonymous Jane Doe. The plaintiffs dismissed it in February with prejudice, which means they cannot reopen it as part of a private agreement reached between both sides.
But that decision could make much of the evidence presented in the case difficult to obtain for Billings’ defense against Ashton’s claims. That includes an apparent recording of Ashton admitting to having an illegal relationship with one of the plaintiffs while she was underage, the posting of which was arguably Billings’ coup de grace under the @evidenceagainstbassnectar account.
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual abuse at a festival or anywhere else, here are some resources for support:
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline to offer support to victims and their families. Their services are free and confidential: 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673) (Available 24 hours a day by phone and by online chat.)
Relief After Violent Encounter (RAVE) is an organization that can help you find counseling and therapy after a violent encounter. RAVE also has a domestic and sexual violence Emergency Response Team which is deployed through law enforcement to provide emergency crisis intervention to victims immediately after an assault.