Modest Mouse Drops Guitarist Amid Allegations

Modest Mouse has removed guitarist Simon O’Connor from its upcoming tour following allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to a minor. The band revealed on social media last week that O’Connor, who joined Modest Mouse in 2021, would not be part of the tour.

‘Simon O’Connor will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,’ the band announced. ‘The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar.’

They expressed anticipation for the tour, saying, ‘We look forward to being out there with you all.’

O’Connor faced accusations from a 16-year-old fan on Reddit, who uploaded screenshots and claimed the musician sent her an ‘erotic image’ and numerous direct messages after she liked some of his Instagram stories.

The accuser noted her age was clear from her Instagram handle and mentioned in a comment, ‘For context the story I had that he viewed was my 17th birthday countdown and it said that very clearly.’ She alleged that O’Connor quickly deleted the message and engaged in a thread admitting his phone wasn’t ‘hacked’ and he had a ‘party night.’

She further wrote, ‘oh boy get a good night of sleep,’ to which O’Connor appeared to respond, ‘But you did blindside me with a gaggle of likes and then very little intro besides bikini pics so we are both to blame.’

An additional screenshot revealed a message deleted, with O’Connor stating, ‘I did it again.’

Modest Mouse originated in 1993, led by Isaac Brock, with late drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy.

O’Connor addressed the incident by claiming his belief against inappropriate conduct with minors. He explained, ‘Throughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me.’ He mentioned recognizing similar photos from past interactions and believed he mistakenly contacted the wrong person.

Reflecting on his actions, he stated, ‘After a few minutes, I realized that I had made a mistake and this was not the person who I had dealt with before. I unsent the messages and immediately ceased communication.’

O’Connor apologized, saying, ‘I’m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages. They didn’t deserve to be put in that position, and I’m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them.’ He acknowledged that not everyone will believe his account but committed to telling the truth and accepting responsibility.

O’Connor previously toured with MGMT and participated in Modest Mouse’s latest album, “An Eraser and a Maze.”

Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Reach out with story tips at [email protected].