QOTSA Promo Push Sidesteps Josh Homme Abuse Allegations — SkimNews
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- Queens of the Stone Age set up a novelty 'complaints hotline' promoting their new album 'Perfecth,' and frontman Josh Homme's ex-wife Brody Dalle testified in court that he head-butted her so hard she 'saw stars' and had fantasised about killing her
- Homme kicked photographer Chelsea Lauren in the face — clear footage exists of the incident, which he acknowledged in an apology video
- Dalle's court testimony alleged a drunk Homme told her 'I want to fucking strangle you right now' on one occasion and head-butted her on another
- Homme has full custody of his and Dalle's children after Dalle's boyfriend was found to have forged her signature on an application for a restraining order
- Homme has cultivated a 'friendly neighbourhood rock star' image rehabilitation, including duetting on Shania Twain's new album, appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox, and doing teatime BBC 6 Music interviews
- Homme last month flouted a Detroit venue's smoking ban, risking a $10,000 fine to rail against 'fuckin' corporate assholes,' while his band voluntarily played the corporate venue
- The piece argues rock music never had a real #MeToo moment because so-called 'rock'n'roll behaviour' is venerated, enabling reputation laundering for artists accused of violence against women
Why it matters: QOTSA's promotional strategy sidelines domestic violence allegations against Homme — including photographic evidence and sworn court testimony — in favor of feelgood appearances like Celebrity Gogglebox and BBC 6 Music interviews. The piece argues this reputation-laundering pattern, also visible with Chris Brown and Johnny Depp, shows nostalgia-driven audiences and expensive PR campaigns routinely override critical engagement with violence against women.
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