SYDNEY. - THE FRONTMAN FOR ROCK BAND SILVERCHAIR, DANIEL JOHNS, HASDENIED ALLEGATIONS HE HARASSED AND THREATENED A NEWCASTLE WOMAN. AN APPLICATION FOR AN APPREHENDED VIOLENCE ORDER (AVO) AGAINST JOHNS WAS LODGED IN NEWCASTLE LOCAL COURT ON MONDAY.
A COURT SPOKESWOMAN CONFIRMED A COMPLAINT HAD BEEN LODGED AGAINST THE 20-YEAR-OLD SINGER/GUITARIST, BUT NO ORDER WAS MADE AND IT WAS ADJOURNED UNTIL JULY 26.
JOHNS' MANAGEMENT SAID A 19-YEAR-OLD WOMAN HAD ALLEGED JOHNS "HARASSEDAND THREATENED HER VIA UNNAMED FRIENDS AT UNSPECIFIED TIMES OVER ANUNSPECIFIED PERIOD."HE DID NOT APPEAR IN COURT AS HE IS ON TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES. HIS MANAGER JOHN WATSON SAID JOHNS PREPARED A SWORN STATEMENT SAYING HEDID NOT KNOW THE PERSON MAKING THE ALLEGATIONS AND HAD NEVER THREATENED OR HARASSED HER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.
WATSON SAID IT WAS COMMON FOR PROMINENT PEOPLE TO BE THE SUBJECT OF"BIZARRE CLAIMS" AND WAS CONFIDENT THE ALLEGATIONS WOULD BE PROVED GROUNDLESS IFAND WHEN THEY WENT TO COURT.
"I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MOTIVATED THIS PARTICULAR PERSON TO MAKE THESE OUTLANDISH CLAIMS BUT DANIEL HAS MADE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT HE HAS NEVER MADE ANY THREATS TOWARDS HER" HE SAID.
"DANIEL DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHE EXISTED UNTIL HE RECEIVED A SUBPOENA FROMHER LAST WEEK.""IF THIS PERSON WANTED TO GET SOME ATTENTION, THEN I GUESS SHE HAS SUCCEEDED.""BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT DANIEL WILL BE PURSUING EVERY POSSIBLE LEGALAVENUE TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAINST THESE GROUNDLESS ACCUSATIONS." "AND TO PROVIDE A DISINCENTIVE TO ANYBODY WHO MIGHT BE CONSIDERING MISCHIEVOUS OR MALICIOUS LEGAL ACTIONS."
JOHNS HAS BEEN PLAGUED RECENTLY BY AN EATING DISORDER, AND RUMOURS ABOUTHIS SEXUALITY AND ALLEGED DRUG HABITS.
IN AN INTERVIEW TO PROMOTE THE BAND'S THIRD ALBUM NEON BALLROOM, WHICH FEATURES A SONG ABOUT ANOREXIA, JOHNS ADMITTED BATTLING THE ILLNESS. HOWEVER, HE DENIED REPORTS THE DISORDER WAS RELATED TO HIS VEGANISM ANDSAID HE WAS TIRED OF THE RUMOURS SURROUNDING HIS WEIGHT LOSS. "IT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT. I JUST WISH PEOPLE WOULD DROP IT," HE TOLDA NEWSPAPER.
