Morrissey promised never to speak to the media again after claiming to have been misquoted by German magazine Der Spiegel. In the published interview, the singer appeared to defend accused sexual predators like Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein, worrying that they were being caught up in a sort of witch hunt. He also questioned the awareness of Spacey’s alleged 14-year-old victim.
In response to the negative blowback, Morrissey demanded that Der Spiegel release “an unchopped, un-fiddled-with audio of their interview…” Well, be careful for what you wish for, Moz, because the magazine has done just that, and it doesn’t help your case at all.
The relevant audio begins at the 20:40 mark and reveals Morrissey said exactly what he was quoted as saying. While he does couch his opinion by stating, “But of course there are extreme cases. Rape is revolting, any kind of physical attack… but we must keep it in perspective, otherwise everyone on the planet is guilty,” he stumbles further and puts his foot firmly, confidently, in his mouth.
(Read: The Uncomfortable Disregard for Legendary Rockers’ Sexual Misconduct)
“I think it’s absurd,” he said when asked about Spacey being cut from films. He went on to question Spacey’s 14-year-old victim: “You have to wonder where the boy’s parents were. You have to assume the boy had an inclining of what might possibly happen. I don’t know about you, but in my youth, I was never in situations like that. Never. And I was always aware of where things could go.”
Speaking more generally about the rash of sexual misconduct allegations, Morrissey added,
“You also must wonder if people know exactly what’s happening and they go along with it. But then when it’s happened, they find that they’re either embarrassed or they didn’t really like it. So then they reverse it and say, ‘I was ambushed, I was taken by surprise, I was dragged into the room.’ Which if the incident had gone very, very well and they’d really enjoyed it and it’d led to an incredible career, they wouldn’t mention it… In many cases, one looks at the circumstances and thinks that the person referred to as a victim is merely disappointed. Throughout the history of music and rock ‘n’ roll there have been musicians who have slept with their groupies. If you go through history, almost everyone is guilty of sleeping with minors.”
Here’s a running list of men who, according to Morrissey, may have severely disappointed a number of men and women over the years.
