Drugged, assaulted fans? New accusations against Rammstein

Rumors of sexual assault and abuse of power on social media are not always taken seriously, but accusations against German band Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann are now gaining weight.

Following Shelby Lynn’s allegations that were made public earlier this week, a new investigation by German reporters shows that the case may be part of a systematic process to satisfy Lindemann’s sexual requests.

The Most Reported Case: Shelby Lynn’s Testimony

Lynn, a fan from Ireland, traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania, to see Rammstein perform, the first of their European stadium tour.

There, she was invited to a party. She reports that she met the band’s lead singer, Till Lindemann, there and that he wanted to have sex with her. Lynn said that Lindemann reacted very aggressively when she refused.

She also suspects that one of her drinks was spiked with drugs, because she doesn’t remember part of the night after having just two drinks and a shot of tequila. She says she was left with bruising and vomiting for 24 hours after the show.

She posted a photo of her injuries online and filed a complaint.

Young fans systematically recruited for sex?

On June 2, the German public broadcaster NDR and the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung published an exclusive report with new testimonials from women whose experiences mirror those of Shelby Lynn, revealing a systematic process to recruit young, attractive women as post-show party attendees who were reportedly specifically chosen to have sex with Till Lindemann.

Journalists collected statutory statements from more than a dozen women, who described how they were approached by the Rammstein team, either through Instagram or at concerts. Some of them were invited to send in photos before the event, or were photographed and filmed on location. The selected women said they were invited to dress in a certain way for the event and had access to the so-called “zero queue” during the show, a special restricted space in front of the stage.

One woman reports that she was told directly that access to the party was only for those interested in having sex with Lindemann, and that the 60-year-old rocker only wanted very young women to attend.

Other women note that they were not even asked their age, although at parties they were offered alcohol and illicit drugs.

Reporters also collected several WhatsApp screenshots and Instagram chats supporting the women’s statements.

They also filmed testimonies from two women, who chose to remain anonymous but provided a statutory statement, which described their sexual encounter with Till Lindemann.

One of them describes having extremely painful sex with the star. Although she didn’t dare tell him that she was uncomfortable in the situation “because it was Lindemann”, she says she now realizes it was a form of abuse of power.

The other woman recounts how she ended up unconscious in a hotel bed while attending Lindemann’s after-show party. She says that when she regained consciousness, he was still lying on top of her. He asked if he should stop, but she said she “didn’t even know what he wanted to stop doing”. Lindemann then left.

Later, she asked team members to talk to Lindemann, but they didn’t understand why. She wanted to know if he had at least used a condom.

No commentary by Lindemann and Rammstein

Lindemann and those involved in the reported recruitment of the young women did not respond to the NDRs and Suddeutsche Zeitungcomment requests.

Following Lynn’s statement, the band dismissed all accusations on their Twitter account.

“With regard to the allegations circulating on the internet about Vilnius, we can rule out the possibility that what is being claimed took place in our environment,” they stated in a tweet. “We are not aware of any official investigation into this matter.”

Other women reported – anonymously – having had similar experiences and expressed their full solidarity with Shelby Lynn. Others urged caution as the allegations have yet to be substantiated.

Many Rammstein fans find the band’s Twitter post insufficient and have asked via the band’s social media channels why they are not addressing the matter more explicitly.

One Instagram user asked: “Won’t you at least try to resolve this issue? It’s too serious for a single tweet to make a difference.”

Rammstein, however, has so far kept a low profile, posting photos of his performances.

A 2020 poem by Lindemann about rape

Amidst the current accusations, a 2020 poem by Till Lindemann is also being shared widely online, in which he writes: “I like to sleep with you while you sleep… A little rofinol in a glass of wine / You can’t move / And you sleep, it’s a blessing.”

The poem was already criticized upon its publication, but has been interpreted as a fantasy told from the perspective of a fictional rapist.

Lindemann and Rammstein are known for breaking all taboos with their lyrics, videos and marketing stunts.

Lynn also collected more testimonials

Shelby Lynn’s testimony began to gain traction after she created a new Twitter account on May 25 with the profile description: “The girl who was poisoned in Rammstein.”

She is using the account to document her experience and her claims, as well as to collect testimonials from other alleged victims.

After the initial reports of sexual assault, Lynn added a clarification on Twitter, in which she specifies that Lindemann did not touch her. “He accepted that I didn’t want to have sex with him. I never claimed he raped me.”

Rammstein’s European stadium tour kicked off in Vilnius on May 22 and will take them across Europe through the summer. In Germany, the band will perform in Munich in June and in Berlin in July.

This article was originally written in German.

Update: First published on May 30th, this article was updated on June 2nd with new accusations.