At least two dozen country artists formerly on the Webster Public Relations roster have left the firm amid sexual assault allegations against owner Kirt Webster — including the firm’s flagship artist, Dolly Parton.
However, while most of the artists have exited quietly — or with statements via representatives stating they’d left due to the controversy — Parton has come forth on social media with a comment of her own, praising the work Webster has done for her over the years and adding her hopes the accusations against him are false.
Parton took a similar level stance upon the initial wave of allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, whom she had a brief professional relationship with. “It’s a sad situation,” she noted, adding that she herself had not experienced any personal issues with him.
Parton appears to stand alone in her defense of Webster’s work, as no other of the PR exec’s top clients have made a comment in his favor on social media.
Accusations against Webster came to light on Oct. 27, when Austin Rick spoke out on Facebook after nearly a decade of silence. Rick has since done several interviews, including a revealing Q&A with Taste of Country.
entatives for tell us that their artists left because of the accusations made by Austin Rick (and later by more than a dozen unnamed ex-employees in talking to outlets like Taste of Country, the Tennessean and Fox News).
Artists that have left the roster as of Thursday (Nov. 2) include Kenny Rogers, Justin Moore, Kid Rock, Olivia Lane, the Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, William Michael Morgan, Aaron Lewis, Kenny G, Big & Rich, and Bill Anderson.
Numerous calls and emails to Webster PR and Kirt Webster have not been answered. Webster has denied any wrongdoing.
See All Artists That Have Left Webster PR So Far
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.TasteofCountry.com
