Katie Armiger claimed that the country music industry has its own Harvey Weinstein-like people and that she was blacklisted in the business when she made sexual harassment claims.
“I was at a radio station in Texas and was taking a promo photo with one of the on-air DJs after doing my performances and he grabbed my butt during the photo,” the 26-year-old country singer shared with Fox News about what she claimed happened to her when she was 15-years-old during her first radio tour. (RELATED: Ed Asner Asks Chris Jansing For Kiss During Weinstein Interview)
NASHVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 15: Recording artist Katie Armiger attends the 2014 American Country Countdown Awards at Music City Center on December 15, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for dcp)
“And at the same time he was whispering in my ear, ‘When are you going to be legal,” she added, sharing that she was “shocked” and “terrified,” but soon found that there was no one who would support her.
“I brought up my fears and I was told that’s how it was and if I wanted to be in music, I’d have to get over it,” she continued.
The singer also shared her experience during a lunch with a radio programmer and his team when the director asked everyone at the table to share the “top five list of women they would want to sleep with.”
After the programmer shared his choice, Armiger said he then turned and “looking me in the eyes, he said, ‘But you would absolutely be my No. 2.’” He then allegedly said to her guitar player, “Surely you’ve been f–king her. Where is she on your list?”
She claimed that after she filed a countersuit against her former radio label who wanted her to “sex it up” in order to become successful, which included “hug, kiss and flirt” with radio programmers, publishing houses wouldn’t sign her.
“That was the consensus; that was everywhere I went,” Armiger said. “I would talk to booking agents and they were scared to work with me because they either thought somehow the tour would be canceled or I was a liability to work with.”
Armiger said after the Harvey Weinstein accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault came to light, she was inspired to speak out.
“There’s something really horrible going on behind the scenes,” the singer explained, adding that country music business has its own Weinstein-like behavior.
“I don’t think it will change until people start speaking out, and for the most part they’re too scared,” she continued. “Look at my story — they’ll see that I spoke out and spoke my truth and thought for the most part people would believe my story. I didn’t ever think that it would be met with doubt or disdain.”
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