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Conor Oberst’s rape accuser admits to fabricating claims: I Made Up Those Lies to Get Attention

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Updated on July 6, 2023

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Last year, the woman who accused Bright Eyes singer Conor Oberst of rape made a statement renouncing her allegations.

Joan Elizabeth Harris (also known as Joanie Faircloth) acknowledges that she made up accusations of being raped by a “rock star” when she was 16 in the comments section of a 2013 XO Jane post. Conor Oberst, the frontman of Bright Eyes, was named by her as the abuser.

Oberst promptly refuted the claim and filed a libel suit against Faircloth in February. She has never publicly addressed the issue, and her apology on Monday is the first time she has done so legally.

“The statements I made and repeated online and elsewhere over the past six months accusing Conor Oberst of raping me are 100% false. I made up those lies about him to get attention while I was going through a difficult period in my life and trying to cope with my son’s illness,” Faircloth’s statement read.

“I publicly retract my statements about Conor Oberst, and sincerely apologize to him, his family, and his fans for writing such awful things about him. I realize that my actions were wrong and could undermine the claims of actual sexual assault victims and for that I also apologize. I’m truly sorry for all the pain that I caused,” she stated.

Faircloth made the charges in the comments area of the website xojane.com in late 2013, and the falsified claims began to circulate in late 2013. “Conor took a lot from me,” she wrote, “including my virginity, dignity, and self-esteem.” Oberst promptly refuted the accusation, claiming that “there is no truth to… [this] sickening allegation” via his spokesperson.

According to Stereogum, the musician is suing for $1 million in damages and declared in February through his representative that the claims are “absolutely, unequivocally false.” Oberst also claimed that the allegations had harmed his career. TMZ reported recently that the claims lost Oberst a $200,000 publishing deal.

Conor has issued a statement in response to the news:

“I have accepted Joanie Faircloth’s apology and retraction to clear my name. This has been extremely difficult and stressful for me personally and for those I love. I’m appreciative of the family, friends, fans, and business partners who supported me throughout this and look forward to happier times as we all move forward with our lives.”

According to Oberst’s father and business manager, the claims have had a negative impact on his career, with sales of his current album Upside Down Mountain being lower than those of his prior albums. The suit has cost Oberst $700,000, excluding lawyers’ costs and travel expenses.