Rammstein scandal: casting director fired amidst abuse accusations

Serious allegations against Rammstein
Casting director fired
Female scapegoat
Women take a stand
More allegations
Cynthia A.: No consensual sex with Lindemann
Abuse of power by Lindemann
Kaya R.: Unconscious, then in a hotel room with Lindemann
Statements made by the women under oath
The claim from an Irish fan that started it all
Row Zero fans
One of the chosen women
Lindemann allegedly offered women strong drinks
Indecent proposal in the backstage area
Blackout and bruises
Photo of bruises on Twitter
Report to the police
Statement to the police through video call
Disappointed in police
Rammstein's response
Comment from Lindemann's ex, Sophia Thomalla
Thomalla supports Lindemann
No attack by Lindemann
Celebs speak up
Gaslighting by Thomalla?
Appeal to the media
Retweeted by Thomalla
Self-determined women
Positive words from Laciny
Rammstein parties are excessive
System of initiation?
Sex in exchange for attending parties
More women report
Apathetic women in 'Row Zero'
Divided fanbase
Rammstein reacts after further allegations
Fans sell tickets
No more 'Row Zero' and after-parties?
Demonstrations before concerts in Munich
Serious allegations against Rammstein

The reports from women accusing Rammstein singer Till Lindemann of sexual or physical assault are piling up. Meanwhile, the German band has drawn its own conclusiond and fired casting director Alena Makeeva. At the same time, fans are disgusted by the allegations and some sell their tickets.

Casting director fired

Casting director Alena Makeeva is said to have "cast" some of the young women for Lindemann, and that's why the band fired her. However, the women's allegations do not concern Makeeva at all. They speak exclusively of Lindemann, who has not yet experienced any consequences.

Female scapegoat

Just like Johanna Dürrholz from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), one can ask oneself whether it is a coincidence that Lindemann does not have to bear the allegations and that the buck is now being passed to... a woman.

Women take a stand

One thing is also striking: in addition to the female, allegedly damaged fans, it's especially women who take a stand with regard to the allegations against Lindemann. They include local celebs Sophia Thomalla, Nora Tschirner, and Jadu Laciny. But more on that later; first the details of the allegations.

More allegations

The complaints against Till Lindemann began with the Irishwoman Shelby Lynn, who turned to the public and filed a report with the police. Other women then spoke up about targeted recruitment for sex with Rammstein singer Till Lindemann and, in two cases, alleged sexual acts without consent.

Cynthia A.: No consensual sex with Lindemann

Cynthia A., whose name was changed, reported to the NDR and the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) that she had sex with Lindemann in 2020, but that it was violent and not consensual. She hadn't explicitly said 'no' but she wasn't comfortable with it either. The then-22-year-old had not gone to the police.

Abuse of power by Lindemann

In an interview with SZ, Cynthia A. said: "I didn't want to say that it hurts... , because it was Till Lindemann." Today, however, the woman describes the event as an assault and abuse of power by Lindemann.

Kaya R.: Unconscious, then in a hotel room with Lindemann

Another woman, named Kaya R. to protect her anonymity, reported that she attended a Rammstein after party and then came to on a bed in a hotel room. Lindemann reportedly lay on top of her.

Statements made by the women under oath

Both women, as reported by the German news oulet Tagesschau, affirmed their statements by oath. In addition, reporters from the German NDR and SZ have further testimonies and chat logs, as reported by the Tagesschau.

The claim from an Irish fan that started it all

The first step towards public allegations against the Rammstein singer was made by the Irish Shelby Lynn who reported Till Lindemann to the Lithuanian police: because of the exploitation of young women and the suspicion of administering drugs at the start of the Rammstein "Europa Stadion Tour". May 22 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

What happened?

Photo: @Shelbys69666 / Twitter

Row Zero fans

The women in question are referred to as 'Row Zero' fans. They are mainly young women who are selected at Rammstein concerts and allowed to stand directly on the stage in 'row zero.' They are also invited to attend parties before and after the concert.

"Don't meet your idols"

Shelby Lynn was one of them and is now making allegations. In a video on Instagram, she begins her speech with the words: "Don't meet your idols! Sh *** Rammstein!"

Photo: @Shelbys69666 / Twitter

One of the chosen women

The Irish Shelby Lynn was at the Rammstein concert in Vilnius. According to her own statements, the 24-year-old was allowed to go to a special area in front of the stage together with other women.

Lindemann allegedly offered women strong drinks

The women were also invited to the parties that took place during the concert. Lindemann is said to have been there and to have offered the women tequila, according to Focus Online.

Indecent proposal in the backstage area

During the break in the concert, Lynn said she was taken backstage by the band and asked to have sex with Lindemann. She alleges that the Rammstein singer reacted aggressively to her refusal.

Blackout and bruises

After that, Lynn had a so-called blackout or film tear: she could only partially remember the rest of the evening, she says. It wasn't until the next morning that she had memories again. She woke up with bruises and bruises as well as chills, tachycardia, and nausea.

Photo: @Shelbys69666 / Twitter

Photo of bruises on Twitter

Lynn posted a photo of the bruises on Twitter. She titled the post "Blaue Flecken Update #Rammstein" ('blue spots update').

Report to the police

The Irish woman is convinced that she was given drugs without her permission. She filed a complaint with the Lithuanian police.

Statement to the police through video call

Lynn announced on Twitter that she was being questioned by the Lithuanian police, who then confirmed this to the German Bild newspaper. Their conversation took place via video call and lasted five hours, Lynn said.

Disappointed in police

Despite the time spent on her report, Lynn complained in a post about the actions of the police: "They have finally taken an official statement from me and gave me a file number. I'm incredibly disappointed by how this matter was handled by 'professionals'."

Photo: @Shelbys69666 / Twitter

Rammstein's response

The band Rammstein issued a statement on May 28 that they have no knowledge of the incidents mentioned in the allegations. According to the Bild newspaper, the police want to decide in the coming week whether investigations will be initiated.

Photo: @RSpeaker / Twitter

Comment from Lindemann's ex, Sophia Thomalla

Till Lindemann's ex-girlfriend, Sophia Thomalla, talked to Bild about the allegations. She said it was a made-up story and that Lynn wanted to use it to get some of Rammstein's fame.

Thomalla supports Lindemann

Thomalla (left), who is in good contact with Lindemann even after their separation, has chosen his side and says that he is a person who protects women. However, it is unclear to what extent she can make precise statements about the events in Vilnius.

No attack by Lindemann

It is important to add that the Irish fan, Lynn, announced in another post on Twitter that Lindemann had not physically touched her. Thomalla then retweeted her post with the comment: "Enough said."

Celebs speak up

Thomalla got criticism for her approach to the Lindemann allegations from someone who had already shown her engagement in other cases of gender abuse in German showbiz. Her name is Nora Tschirner.

"Gaslighting"

Tschirner responded to Shelby Lynn's report and described the reactions to the Irish woman as "gaslighting." This is the abusive manipulation of a person, insisting that their experience is not real, leading to a reduction in self-esteem.

Gaslighting by Thomalla?

By saying this, Tschirner aimed directly at Thomalla's comments which portrayed Lynn as an attention-seeking fan and thus reduced her credibility. According to Tschirner, it was a clear gaslighting method.

Appeal to the media

Tschirner said that the goal is to make the victim feel insecure and intimidated. She openly appealed to the media not to get involved in such an approach.

Retweeted by Thomalla

Sophia Thomalla reacted a second time to the allegations against her ex Till Lindemann and retweeted a post by the singer Jadu Laciny, who had been on tour with Lindemann in 2020 and claimed that she never noticed anything in line with the allegations against Lindemann.

Self-determined women

Laciny recalled that some women were present backstage, and some of them openly explained why they were there. For Laciny, this is a sign of self-determination. She did not notice the administration of drugs.

Positive words from Laciny

Laciny said of Lindemann that she trusts him and that he is very warm and in no way pushy. However, there are obviously conflicting reports here - as well as knowledge in the scene of "notorious" Rammstein parties.

Rammstein parties are excessive

'Row Zero' fans and the pre-and after-parties at the Rammstein concerts are notorious. According to the site fm4.orf.at, Markus Grundnig, administrator of the Austrian Rammstein fan club, said that it was well-known that there were excessive parties and consensual sexual encounters at Rammstein concerts.

System of initiation?

The research by NDR and SZ now suggests a system of targeted recruitment of women before and during Rammstein concerts. Over a dozen women reported being approached via Instagram or at concerts to attend Lindemann's after-show parties.

Sex in exchange for attending parties

For this purpose, photos were allegedly taken of them beforehand or on-site. In addition, they were given instructions on the clothing and styling they should choose for the night. One woman even stated that she was told that Lindemann only wanted very young women at his parties and that participation was linked to interest in sex with the Rammstein singer.

More women report

Lynn's accusations have been followed by those of more women. They are now reporting on social media about sexual assaults in the vicinity of the Rammstein concerts. According to the German broadcaster MDR, the women speak of sex with Lindemann which would have been especially violent during these encounters.

Apathetic women in 'Row Zero'

The women in 'Row Zero' would also be conspicuous by their apathy, observers in German and Austrian media claim. This can be a sign of drug administration. More information about a possible investigation by the Lithuanian police is expected to come out soon

Divided fanbase

The allegations split the fan community: some fans are angry and sell their concert tickets, while others want to stand by the band and show solidarity.

Rammstein reacts after further allegations

After the further allegations, Rammstein reported back to Instagram and said that they would take the allegations seriously and condemned the assault. The band also wrote that both the women and the band have a right to their point of view and that there should be no prejudice.

Fans sell tickets

As several media reported, countless fans offered their tickets for the concert in the Olympic Stadium in Munich for sale. According to Der Spiegel, several hundred tickets were for sale here for the concert on June 7th.

No more 'Row Zero' and after-parties?

In the run-up to the concerts in Munich, politicians reacted. The Greens in the Munich City Council called for a ban on 'Row Zero' and for after-parties to be examined.

Demonstrations before concerts in Munich

On June 7, the first day of the concert in Munich, demonstrators gathered in front of the Olympic Stadium to protest against the band's performance. They carried signs reading "No show for perpetrators" and "We are here!" to express their solidarity with the alleged victims.

More for you