The Neighbourhood’s drummer was just fired after admittedly groping fellow musician Maria Zardoya.
The news was announced Sunday night after Zardoya, lead singer of The Marías, took to her band’s official Instagram page to accuse Brandon Fried of inappropriately touching her while on a night out:
“i was at a bar last night, and i was groped under the table by brandon fried @brandonfried_, the drummer of the neighbourhood. it was one of the most uncomfortable things ive ever experienced. i felt an invasion of my space, privacy, and body.”
The Puerto Rican singer then addressed the alt rock band by directly tagging them in the post, adding:
“@thenbhd y’all need a new drummer, this guy is a complete creep”
Related: Constance Wu Reveals She Was Groped By Fresh Off The Boat Senior Producer
See (below):
The Neighbourhood quickly addressed the accusation on their official IG, writing:
“We are grateful to Maria for coming forward. We have zero tolerance for any kind of inappropriate behavior towards women.”
The California rock band then announced a significant update to their group in the wake of the troubling allegations:
“As a result of Brandon’s actions, he will no longer be a member of The Neighbourhood.”
See (below):
While this is a horrible situation all around, we are so glad the 32-year-old drummer is being held accountable, rather than the situation merely being swept under the rug — an occurrence that is unfortunately all too common, but one that is no longer being tolerated. We wouldn’t be surprised if the swift action also had something to do with the negative attention lead singer Jesse Rutherford has been drawing recently due to his dating Billie Eilish, who is 11 years his junior. Remember THAT couple’s Halloween costume…
Related: Billie & Jesse’s Red Carpet Debut In… Pajamas?!
Brandon himself then addressed the situation on his own Instagram page, writing:
“I am so terribly sorry to Maria. My actions were inexcusable and intolerable. They are not reflective of who I am as a person, but clearly a reflection of who I become while under the influence. It is evident that I must address my problems with alcohol and substance abuse, which I am now seeking help for. I want to apologize to women who have been victims of any behavior that has left them feeling uncomfortable or violated. I am also sorry to The Neighbourhood and our fans for letting them down.”
See (below):
We hope Maria can work through this paralyzing situation and hopefully empower other victims to speak up when they safely can.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Images via The Marías/Instagram & SRF Bounce/YouTube]
The post <i>The Neighbourhood</i> Fires Drummer Brandon Fried Following Groping Accusations From <i>The Marías</i> Lead Singer appeared first on Perez Hilton.