Die Antwoord removed from festivals over ‘homophobic attack’ on Hercules And Love Affair

Band protest their innocence over a 2012 video of their apparent attack on Andy Butler went viral

Die Antwoord have been removed from the bill of two festivals after video of an alleged homophobic attack against Andy Butler of Hercules And Love Affair went viral.

The incident took place at Australian festival Future Music in 2012, but has only recently gone viral after a video was placed online by former Die Antwoord videographer Ben Crossman.

The video, which can be seen below, appears to show Die Antwoord rappers Yolandi Visser and Ninja chase Butler while making homophobic slurs against him. The pair then seem to alert festival security staff and accuse Hercules And Love Affair mainman Butler of sexual harassment towards Visser, claiming he groped her in a backstage toilet.

https://youtu.be/iQ7sOlp7eVI

As Visser is seen crying, Ninja says her “performance” is “Oscar-winning”.

Since the video emerged, Die Antwoord have been removed from the bill of US festivals Louder Than Life in Kentucky and Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas.

Ninja, real name Watkin Tudor-Jones, has protested the duo’s innocence. In a Facebook post, he said Crossman was the main instigator, saying the videographer “cleverly edited” the 11-minute footage to make it seem Ninja and Visser were being homophobic towards Butler.

“Ben beat up the guy from Hercules himself while filming this same video clip,” wrote Ninja.

Crossman is yet to respond to the claims.

Ninja went on to deny Die Antwoord are homophobic, saying: “This was just a fight with someone who fucked with us, not a hate crime. This fight had nothing to do with the fact this guy is gay. We don’t care about people’s sexual preference. Our DJ and best friend DJ HITEK is gay, and a lot of people in our crew are gay.”

A statement from Louder Than Life said Die Antwoord were no longer playing due to “unforeseen circumstances”. Life Is Beautiful didn’t give a reason for Die Antwoord’s non-appearance, but said the South African duo “will no longer be in attendance” at the festival.

Die Antwoord most recently played the UK in June, immediately before Slipknot at Download, before a headline show at Brixton Academy.

Butler released ‘Omnion’, his fourth album as Hercules And Love Affair, in 2017.

 

 

 

 

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