MIMI PAGE’S OPEN LETTER TO BASSNECTAR

In light of the sexual assault allegations earlier this month, Lorin Ashton (aka Bassnectar) announced that he would be taking a step back from his music career to take responsibility for his actions. Though claiming that the rumors are simply untrue, he acknowledges that he caused pain to others in his position of celebrity power.

Today, artist and past collaborator, Mimi Page, has stepped forward with an open letter to Lorin addressing the evidence of both his “romantic” victims and her own negative experience with him. Mimi expresses that she is using her platform to call out Lorin on his steps towards accountability in hopes he can still be “a catalyst for the true change and healing we need in not only the music industry, but in our world”.

She explains the purpose of this post is for the, “Healing to me, to you, to the young women you have sexually and emotionally abused, to the creative collaborators you have taken advantage of creatively and financially, to the professional team members you’ve betrayed and let down, and to the dedicated fan base you’ve mislead and abandoned.”

Mimi first dives into dissecting Lorin’s character as a master manipulator not only on young women, but in her own manipulation as a music creative leveraging his fame as a platform to uplift smaller artists in what he calls, “the Bassnectar factor”. “You used your charm to manipulate me into thinking you cared about me while you stole my creative credit and royalties… You strategically belittled me creatively and financially in order to assert your dominance and control in ways where I was brainwashed into continuing to work with you.”

She continues by sharing her own personal experiences as survivor of sexual abuse from her childhood into teenage years. Explaining the definition of ephebophilia is an adult who is sexually attracted to adolescents between the ages of 15-19, and clarifies that Rachel was 17 when Lorin groomed and pursued a sexual relationship with her.

In the open letter, Mimi outs Lorin about an audio recording where he verbally admits to Rachel’s statutory rape when she was 17 and offered to take accountability directly with her, but asked if that accountability means being “raped and beat up in a Tennessee jail.” Mimi calls this gaslighting behavior equally abusive and “subliminally asks your victim to doubt the severity of her own experience and put your well being above her own”.

Additionally, Mimi details his relationship with another woman, Lauren (21), who made a public statement saying she was “sexually groomed and manipulated” as a Bassnectar fan. In Lauren’s experience, Lorin not only demanded sexual exclusivity to him without the same in return, but to lie to her parents on her whereabouts and to refer to him as a “life coach” to help navigate some of her “biggest decisions”.

Moving into her personal relationship with Lorin, Mimi shares an email with the public on when she sent her vocals to him for their popular song, “Butterfly” back in 2012. His reply was that he wanted to “F*CK her voice,” and rather address this inappropriate message, she pushed it away letting the opportunity to collaborate overshadow her discomfort in his response.

After “Butterfly” was released, Mimi shares multiple instances where she was cheated out of the royalties and money she deserved. Lorin told Mimi due to administrative fees and expenses a 50/50 split wasn’t fair regardless of her creative contribution. Even though she created most of the song, Lorin took credit of the full production allowing her to be viewed as a vocal feature on the track.

“Butterfly” was being used in satellite radio, TV shows, films, video games, and was even featured in an art installation at the Disney museum all while ranking #4 in his Billboard catalog. Her pain not only came from watching her creation take off under the credit of someone else, but viewing her own self-worth through the eyes of Lorin. Convincing herself that this was the price to pay in order to help her music career. Mimi divulges into other instances where she was wrongfully compensated for her onstage performances, and other song collaborations including her voice on his new “All Colors” album.

“Had you given me the creative credit I deserved on our song, doors would have been a lot easier for me to open as a female producer and composer in this male dominated industry… I was brainwashed into feeling “grateful” for the opportunities I received and the success I did generate from your platform. I convinced myself that I was less than you, and I had to pay my dues like everyone else in order to earn my worth as your creative equal. This equality never came… To this day you still collect 100% of the master royalties on every one of our collaborations.”

Mimi closes her letter by calling out Lorin’s hypocrisy and wishfulness for a safer space for not only women, but all artists and creators in the music industry. She calls on Lorin to step up to right his wrongs and use his wealth and power as a true catalyst for change.

“You have accumulated your wealth and lifestyle from the money and dedicated support of your fanbase… You owe us way more than an apology… The sad reality is, your behavior isn’t just a reflection of the darkness within your own psyche, it’s a reflection of the power-hungry, abusive, and narcissistic behavior in the music industry. We need a deep healing and change in perception with the ways business is run inside the music industry…. Music is a sacred, it brings healing and unity to our world. We need to make an example of the mess you have created and transmute it for positive change.”

“The abusive dynamics in the music industry have existed for far too long, we can use this experience to help stop it. While you were a part of this problem, I hold space for your healing and redemption. You can take true accountability for your actions and use this experience as a catalyst for massive change.”

In her final words, Mimi addresses how Lorin can directly take accountability and healing with her on behalf of the his community.

“My goal would be [starting a non-profit] to focus on sound healing and meditation for survivors of sexual abuse and use the symbol of the Butterfly as the emblem. This would redefine my song and represent that we actually transformed some of this darkness into beauty.”

Read Mimi Page’s full open letter here.