Ryan Adams Posts Response to Abuse Accusations

In February, the New York Times published a lengthy account of Ryan Adams’s actions around women, which included descriptions of patterns of abuse and his lecherous correspondence with a 16-year-old high school student, which included Adams writing at one point, “If people knew they would say I was like R Kelley lol.”

The music industry’s reaction was quick: other musicians shared their experience with Adams’s bad behavior, the planned release of Adams’s then-forthcoming album was shelved and a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland was canceled.

Now, Adams has responded to the accusations of abuse with a cryptic Instagram post, which covers a lot of ground while simultaneously reading like a prelude to a much longer statement to come.

I have a lot to say. I am going to. Soon.

Because the truth matters.

It’s what matters most.

I know who I am. What I am.

It’s time people know.

Past time.

Over the course of the post, he also references the death of his brother and his experience with Ménière’s Disease, while also suggesting that a return to playing live is forthcoming, referencing a desire “to go play have some great shows and put out these badass records.”

The tone of the post is wide-ranging and sometimes contradictory. Towards the end of it, Adams also writes, “Believe Women. Believe Truth. But never give up on being part of solutions, and healing.”

View this post on Instagram

“I have a lot to say. I am going to. Soon. Because the truth matters. It’s what matters most. I know who I am. What I am. It's time people know. Past time. All the beauty in a life cannot be reduced to rubble for confusion, ignoring truths that destroy all the good in us. This madness and misunderstanding. There’s enough of that in this world My work was always meant to be a map for the lost. I’ve tried my best to be open and accountable. Not a billboard. I mean, maybe for being flawed. I’ve always wanted to help. I’m trying. So, soon… because it’s time to get back to what I do best. I’m here for the music, for the love and for making things better. I didn’t have an easy life. I lost my brother the day the Prisoner Tour ended. Every night wondering if he would be alive. He was proud of me. My family and my friends were there for that. And so many great fans. For the Meineres community who suffer every day. This music was for then. It mattered. And that was always for it to help. So let’s do that. THAT will matter. The amends made and things lost in the noise, that should’ve mattered too. I want to be a part of that healing. To go play have some great shows and put out these badass records. Believe Women. Believe Truth. But never give up on being part of solutions, and healing. I’ve lost friends who have passed away in this time of self reflection and silence. I can’t be like that. There’s been too much that mattered. Thank you for your kindness, your support and for this time I needed to decide how I could be a part of a better tomorrow for everybody. Sometimes that peace comes from opening yourself up. That’s who I want to be. Here’s to that. With love and with faith- In all of us and our best and our faults RA

A post shared by Ryan Adams (@ryanadams) on Jul 20, 2019 at 12:11am PDT

Adams’s Instagram feed, which has been dormant since February, has seen a flurry of activity in the last 12 hours, including some song clips and — on the less contrite or contemplative side — an image of Whitesnake’s self-titled album captioned, “Perfect Friday jams.” This statement suggests something new is coming, possibly a more official response to the accusations; based on this post, it’s difficult to gauge what its tone might be.

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