Axl Rose and Sheila Kennedy, a former model who accused the Guns N’ Roses frontman of sexual assault, have reached a private
settlement, Rolling Stone reports. The lawsuit, filed last year, alleged that Rose violently attacked and raped Kennedy in a Manhattan
hotel room in 1989—claims he has consistently denied. There was no assault,” Rose said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “As I have from the
beginning, I deny the allegations.” The settlement’s terms remain confidential. E. Danya Perry, Rose’s attorney, expressed relief over the
resolution: “Mr. Rose has suffered greatly from this lawsuit, and I am pleased that he will now be able to move on with his life.”
Court documents filed in New York confirmed that both parties agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, barring it from being refiled, and
to cover their own legal fees. Attempts to reach Kennedy and her lawyer for comment were unsuccessful.
Kennedy filed her lawsuit in November 2023, just before the deadline for claims under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. She alleged that after
meeting Rose at a nightclub, she accompanied him to his hotel suite, where an initially consensual encounter allegedly turned violent.
Rose, 62, denied the allegations through his attorney at the time, Alan Gutman, who stated,
“Simply put, this incident never happened.” Rose also denied any recollection of meeting Kennedy.
Kennedy first detailed her allegations in her 2016 autobiography No One’s Pet and later in the 2021 documentary Look Away, which explored sexual
misconduct in the music industry. This case adds to a history of allegations against Rose, including past claims of abuse from former
partners Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour. Both cases were reportedly settled out of court.