Mandy Moore is speaking out against her ex-husband, Ryan Adams. In a new exposé published in the New York Times, seven women — including the This Is Us star — have come forward with stories accusing the music producer of emotional abuse and/or sexual misconduct.
“Music was a point of control for him,” Moore, 34, told the Times in the article published on Wednesday, February 13. The “Candy” songstress met Adams, 44, when she was at a pivotal point in her career, looking to put her teen popstar years in the past and move forward with more credible work.
“He would always tell me, ‘You’re not a real musician, because you don’t play an instrument,’” Moore continued, noting that the two would write songs together which Adams promised to record, but ultimately never followed through. The A Walk to Remember actress added that he’d book them time in the studio, just to replace her with other women.
“His controlling behavior essentially did block my ability to make new connections in the industry during a very pivotal and potentially lucrative time — my entire mid-to-late 20s,” Moore said, telling the outlet she considered the ways he lashed out to be psychologically abusive.
The Times reports that Adams, through his lawyer, referred to Moore’s depiction of their relationship to be “completely inconsistent with his view of the relationship.” He added that he supported her “well-deserved professional success.” His lawyer stated that Adams was happy to assist her in her career and did not come in the way of her working with others in the industry.
Adams released a statement to Us Weekly hours after the Times piece was published. “I am not a perfect man and I have made many mistakes. To anyone I have ever hurt, however unintentionally, I apologize deeply and unreservedly,” he said. “But the picture that this article paints is upsettingly inaccurate. Some of its details are misrepresented; some are exaggerated; some are outright false. I would never have inappropriate interactions with someone I thought was underage. Period. As someone who has always tried to spread joy through my music and my life, hearing that some people believe I caused them pain saddens me greatly. I am resolved to work to be the best man I can be. And I wish everyone compassion, understanding and healing.”
Moore filed for divorce from the former Whiskeytown frontman in January 2015 after six years of marriage. She opened up about their rocky marriage during an interview with Glamour published in October 2018, revealing she felt “spiritually and fundamentally stuck” before calling it quits.
“I didn’t choose the right person,” she told the magazine.“I don’t feel guilty for [the divorce]. I don’t fault myself for it. When people said, ‘I’m sorry,’ I was, like, ‘No. Sorry would have been had I stayed in a very unhealthy situation.’ I didn’t. I found my way out. And when I did, things opened back up again.”
Adams addressed Moore’s comments in a social media post at the time. “She didn’t like the Melvins or BladeRunner,” he wrote in a Tweet. “Doomed from the start … If only I could remember the start lol.”
Adams’ ex-fiancée, Meghan Butterworth, artist Courtney Jaye and singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers were among the others who detailed their stories about the musician to The New York Times.
