Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley alleges sexual coercion by former manager in new memoir
In a later statement, Greig Nori denies Whibley's claims, calling the relationship 'consensual'
WARNING: This story contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it
Lead singer of the Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41, Deryck Whibley, is accusing his former manager and frontman of the group Treble Charger, Greig Nori, of grooming and sexual coercion in his newly released memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell.
In the book, Whibley, who is from Ajax, Ont., described the evolution of his relationship with Nori, whom he met at the age of 16, when Nori was 34.
CBC News has not been able to independently verify the detailed allegations contained in the memoir.
Whibley said Nori quickly became a mentor and "father figure," teaching him how to shave, tie a tie and drive, before introducing the band to drugs and alcohol, and eventually pursuing a sexual relationship with a "freshly 18 years old" Whibley.
From 'father figure' to 'being pressured'
Whibley claimed he and Nori became "inseparable" when he began working as Nori's chauffeur and assistant while still in high school. Nori eventually became Sum 41's manager, booking studio sessions and inviting the band to parties and raves.
Whibley said Nori's only requirement to be their manager was that they "couldn't talk to anyone but him, because the music business is 'full of snakes and liars' and he was the only person we could trust."
Whibley alleges that the relationship between him and Nori became sexual in 1998, after he'd turned 18. Whibley described an instance when Nori invited him into the bathroom to take ecstasy during a rave. In the stall, Whibley claims Nori grabbed him and kissed him.
"He reached over, grabbed my face and kissed me on the mouth passionately.... I stood there having no idea what to say," Whibley wrote.
Whibley described feeling "very confused" as time went on. He said Nori tried to convince him to take their relationship further by explaining that many rock stars whom Whibley idolized were queer and bisexual.
"He was so relentless and convincing that after a while I started to believe that maybe he was right," Whibley wrote.
"Greig kept pushing for things to happen when we were together. I started feeling like I was being pressured to do something against my will," he wrote.
Representatives for Whibley declined a request for an interview.
CBC News did not receive a response to a request for comment from Nori or his representation prior to the intial publication of this article. However, Nori's legal counsel later provided a statement, denying Whibley's claims.
"Deryck Whibley's recent public accusation that I engaged in a non-consensual sexual relationship with him over 20 years ago is a lie. There was a consensual sexual relationship. The accusation that I initiated the relationship is false. I did not initiate it. Whibley initiated it, aggressively," the statement reads.
The full statement is posted below.
Karen Bliss is a Canadian music journalist who has investigated and reported on allegations of sexual assault within the music industry. She said things like this allegedly happen because of the power structures within the industry.
"There's gatekeepers and there's too many alleged predators that are using their power and their position to manipulate and coerce and groom young artists," she said in an interview with CBC News.
Whibley said he kept the relationship secret from his bandmates due to the shame and confusion he felt, feelings that he said were complicated by intoxication from alcohol and drugs.
"I started to unravel mentally and physically... I felt ashamed of myself for giving into Greig," he wrote.
'Fuming' and 'yelling'
Whibley alleges he tried to break things off multiple times but Nori would "push back."
He described one instance when he discussed ending things while the pair were sitting in Nori's car.
"I cried and talked and cried and talked until I had nothing left to say," Whibley wrote. That's when things escalated, according to Whibley.
"I looked over at Greig and he was fuming. For the first time ever, he started yelling at me.... He told me this was all my fault to begin with because I should never have said yes to it in the first place ... that he knew better than me, and I was too young to understand that what we had was special. What we had was love," Whibley wrote.
"I sat there in the passenger seat feeling ashamed."
Nori finally stopped making sexual advances when a mutual friend discovered what had been happening, according to Whibley. The band fired Nori after releasing its third studio album, Chuck, which came out in 2004.
Bliss said she "commends" Whibley for coming forward and hopes "in a big way that the industry steps up."
"Maybe it's up to us as adults in the music industry to go to that young person and say, 'Are you OK? Are you safe? Is anything happening that you don't want to happen?'"
Sum 41 is currently on its final tour. Last year, it released a statement announcing that it would be disbanding.
The group's eighth and final album, Heaven :x: Hell, came out on March 29.
Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
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