Shortly following his criticisms of celebrity rape culture, renowned singer and songwriter Seal has himself come under criminal investigation for sexual violence.
Seal, whose real name is Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, has been a professional musician for over 30 years and his Grammy award-winning hits have touched fans for generations.
He has been adored by audiences all over the world throughout his career, and recently took to social media to announce his support with the #MeToo movement that has been sweeping the entertainment industry.
When Oprah accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, she lent her support to women who have experienced sexual abuse. Seal called Oprah out for her longstanding friendship with Harvey Weinstein, sharing an image that insinuated that she knew about the rumors surrounding the now outed sexual predator.
He then went on to ask women to continue to share their stories of abuse, so that celebrity misconduct is no longer buried.
In a shocking turn of events, a former neighbor has now come out to accuse the singer of violent sexual harassment in the wake of his comments.
Seal caught much flak for his comments about Oprah, which he quickly retracted and clarified.
"What I re-posted was commentary on the hypocritcal and double standard nature and behaviour of Hollywood," he said.
However, when actress Tracy Birdsall heard him encouraging women to share their stories of sexual misconduct, she was inspired to reveal his inappropriate past.
Birdsall explains that when they were living as neighbors in Los Angeles, the pair had become close friends. However, she revealed one occasion when she was alone with him in his house that he lunged at her and began groping her.
She tried to stop him, but he forced himself on her and tried to kiss her. When Birdsall demanded he stop, he began insulting her before assaulting her a second time. After this Birdsall left the singer's house and said she never made contact with him again.
L.A. County Sheriff's Department has begun an investigation over the incident, and a representative for Seal released a statement denying the claims.
"Seal vehemently denies the recent allegations made against him by a former neighbor for alleged misconduct more than a year ago. He intends to vigorously defend himself against these false allegations," it reads.
