music

Music Exec Julie Farman Opens Up About Being Sexually Harassed by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Music executive Julie Farman recently shared a story on her blog in which she says she was sexually harassed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the ‘90s. Farman says she was inspired to share the details of the incident, which occurred when she worked at Epic Records, after reading about the allegations against music publicist Heathcliff Berru.

Farman writes, “I took two of the Chili Peppers to the storage room where we kept the box sets and CDs. As we looked in the cabinet, they pressed up against me and told me about all of the ways we could make a super sexy sandwich. At first I thought they were joking. When I realized they weren’t, I ran from the storage room to my office, where I closed my door, sat down at my desk, and cried.” The reason Farman didn’t report this at the time matches the unfortunate narrative we often hear about why victims don’t come forward. She writes, “I was humiliated and weirdly ashamed, and embarrassed that I was humiliated and weirdly ashamed. There was far worse going on in the music industry at the time, and I thought I was a badass. Being a victim didn’t fit my self-perception.” Before her experience, she knew the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a bad history. As Farman writes, “I heard stories about the Chili Peppers and the way they treated women long before Anthony was convincted [sic] of sexual battery and indecent exposure in 1989 and Chad and Flea were arrested for lascivious behavior, battery and disorderly conduct in 1990.” Farman’s voice joins the chorus of women in the music industry coming forward with stories of sexual harassment from male musicians and executives. It’s appalling how despicably these men acted, and the stories just keep coming. You can read the full post here.

Music Exec Writes About Chili Peppers Harassment