Brendon Urie responds to Zack Hall sexual harassment allegations
6 November 2020, 12:11
Brendon Urie responds to Zach Hall allegations on Twitch
Panic! At The Disco fans have been asking Brendon Urie to fire Zack Hall ever since the allegations first emerged.
Brendon Urie has addressed the sexual harassment allegations against Panic! At The Disco security guard Zack Hall on live.
Earlier this year, Panic! At The Disco came under fire after multiple fans accused the band's bodyguard, Zack Hall, of sexual harassment and misogynistic behaviour. In July, #FireZackHall began trending on Twitter and Breezy Weekes, the wife of Panic!'s former guitarist Dylan Weekes, also called out Zack for "sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour".
Now, Brendon Urie has responded to the allegations and revealed that Zack, who he's close friends with, has been fired.
Taking to Twitch at the weekend (Nov 1), Brendon spoke about his friendship with Zack and his choice to fire him. During the video, Brendon confirmed that Zack no longer works for the band and that everyone involved in Panic! is now getting anti-harassment training. He also maintained that he's still friends with Zack and denied any and all allegations against him.
Here is what Brendon Urie said in full:
"Hi. First off, I missed y’all. Secondly, I hope you’re well. Um, so yeah obvious things first you know? I haven’t been on Twitch in a while, okay? Um… that’s mainly just cuz like the world feels so chaotic right now, and uh… you know I’ve just been keeping to myself. And some of you out there have been trying to get me to tweet. Uh, I haven’t done that in a long time.
We’ve been working through the allegations brought up against Zack, and… I wanna address it, okay? So, Zack has been removed from his current position with Panic! At The Disco, alright? Some of the things recently brought up from the past have definitely crossed the line, and… I am taking this very seriously, alright? Because nobody who works with this band can ever act inappropriately towards fans, period. Alright?
I wanna say I’m truly sorry for anyone who’s been hurt by this directly or has been made to feel unheard. The safety of our fans is a priority, and I do not take that lightly. 'Cause, the last thing I want is for anyone to feel unsafe when they’re coming to see Panic! At The Disco. So, moving forward we’ll also be holding mandatory anti-harassment training sessions for anybody who works for the band.
And that being said, Zack is still my friend. You know, I’ve seen him grow so much over the last several years, and I do believe in second chances. And though I don’t see him ever interacting with fans again, I’m not just gonna shut the door on him forever, or stop being his friend. And again, part of the reason I’ve been keeping to myself is cuz I’ve just had a lot to learn, dude.
Like, for one thing: I needed help understanding that my privileged position and my close friendship with Zack, may have screwed with my perception of his relationships and interactions with other people. Including and especially with fans. And uh… you know having grappled with anxiety and feeling unsafe throughout my own life, I was naive. I was naive to believe that Zack’s behaviour wouldn’t be harmful to some. I truly just did not have the perspective that I needed. The perspective that you guys have given me recently, and I’m grateful for that.
Um, I’m a different person than I was five years ago, I mean hell dude, five months ago. Like I’m sure we all are. And while that doesn’t change the past, we can make things right for the future. And I really wanna get this right. So, you know now I need to say something about some things that have been brought up about me specifically. And I want you to know that they are untrue. I don’t know why these stories were put out there but what I do know is that my fan's safety is the most important thing, dude. And I would never do anything to jeopardize that.
And again, I can’t tell you how sorry I am to those who’ve been hurt, and those who’ve had to wait while I caught up and took the time I needed to listen and just learn. You know you guys give me real, genuine hope for the future. And, I hope we can make it up to you. I miss you guys, and, as you always know, I love you. I appreciate you, I thank you for existing. And as always remember how dope you are, okay? Um, please stay safe, and uh yeah I’ll talk to you guys later. I love you, thanks."
