Axl Rose Sued Over Alleged Sexual Assault

Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose was sued by a former model named Sheila Kennedy over an alleged sexual assault that took place in 1989.

Rose to fame when she modeled for Penthouse and became the 1983 Pet of the Year, Kennedy stated that she and Rose met each other around February 1989 in a night club somewhere in New York City. As per the former model’s claims, she was invited by Rose to come over to his hotel to join him for a party with MTV’s Headbangers Ball host Riki Rachtman. She added that her friend was refused by Rose because her friend was “not hot enough.”

When Kennedy entered Rose’s bathroom while she was at the party, a lot of multiple prescription pill bottles were present, “including lithium.” Kennedy felt scared and thought that Rose “could become dangerous” if by any chance he planned on mixing these medications with alcohol and other drugs. Upon exiting, she found Rose waiting for her outside the door.

Based on her statement, Rose “pushed Kennedy against the wall and kissed her,” which she did not mind until the Guns N’ Roses frontman started having sex with another model. “Rose was aggressive in a way that appeared painful for the model,” as Kennedy describes the situation. When Rose encouraged group sex, she felt more uncomfortable and disturbed.

Kennedy and Rachtman eventually left Rose’s bedroom. Kennedy heard from the outside a sound of glass being shattered and Rose screaming at the other model, “You’re a fucking whore. Get the fuck out of here!” Rachtman then warned Kennedy, “It’s going to get bad.”

When Rose found Kennedy inside Rachtman’s room, he furiously asked her: “What the fuck are you doing here?” He then “dragged Kennedy to his bedroom like a caveman and acted with uncontrolled fury.” The former model was then sexually assaulted by Rose “forcibly penetrating Kennedy’s anus with his penis” without a condom and without asking for consent.

This traumatic incident has caused Kennedy “lifelong emotional, physical, psychological and financial impacts.” These allegations thrown at Rose were previously mentioned in her 2016 autobiography No One’s Pet and in the 2021 documentary Look Away.

When Rose’s side was asked about these allegations, his lawyer, Alan Gutman, said:

“Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires. Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these again fictional allegations prior to today. Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favor.”