Fan of music star Rex Orange County are taking to social media to precise their regret over tattoos inspired by the musician — in light of the allegations of sexual assault he now faces.
The 24-year-old British musician, whose real name is Alex O’Connor, was slapped with claims of sexual abuse by a girl who alleges he assaulted her in London on six separate occasions in two days.
He was released on unconditional bail Monday after denying the allegations and has a provisional trial date set for Jan. 3, 2023.
Because the news broke this week, fans turned to social media to precise their heartbreak for the alleged victim and themselves.
“Me watching the rex orange county tattoo on my ankle,” Nicole Ramirez, 23, tweeted with a photograph of a wide-eyed video game character.
She shared a photograph her small sunflower tattoo explaining that she got the design in honor of the Rex Orange County song “Sunflower.”
“The primary time I heard the song, I just felt a pull towards it and felt prefer it was the primary time a song was made for me,” Ramirez told BuzzFeed News. “Specifically the part ‘sunflower still grows at night,’ because to me it’s like even at the hours of darkness, there’s still potential to grow and alter even when the sun isn’t all the time shining, and it really stuck with me for that specific time in my life.”
The previous die-hard fan said that the allegations made against the singer are “disappointing.”
“It also just really makes you’re taking off the rose-colored glasses that I’m sure me, and plenty of other fans, are likely to placed on for the people they enjoy,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez has been poking fun at herself on social media because the replies to her viral tweet have continued to pour in together with other conflicted fans sharing photos of their Rex Orange County-inspired tattoos.
Twitter user @nataliesyver and TikToker @zac.phil also shared photos of their ink inspired by Rex Orange County as others posted videos of themselves destroying less everlasting mementos of the musician, akin to vinyl records, stickers and autographed posters.
Kayla Ellis, 19, replied to Ramirez’s viral tweet with a photograph of her tattoo of a television set that reads “To this point so good…” on the screen.
“I really like this design regardless and the meaning behind it hasn’t modified,” she tweeted. “This tattoo is for [a] song that was the one thing that kept me alive for a really very long time, not an individual.”
Ellis is certainly one of many former Rex Orange County fans conflicted with how one can handle the news of their favorite artist.
“My heart immediately broke for the alleged victim,” Ellis told BuzzFeed News. “I began crying almost immediately because I knew nothing was gonna be the identical after hearing this.”
The young woman feels especially emotional in regards to the allegations as a victim of sexual assault herself. “I know the way hard it’s to experience something like that after which to return forward,” she said.
Rex Orange County has adamantly denied the allegations from the unnamed woman. “Alex is shocked by the allegations, which he denies, and appears forward to clearing his name in court. He’s unable to make any further comment due to the continued proceedings,” his rep told The Post.
This case is just the most recent in an extended cultural debates of cancel culture and deciding if and how one can separate problematic artists from their art.
