The Scene staff
“I’m probably public enemy number one, But if I’m such a celebrity, that don’t matter none.
It’s America, where your favorite influential idol
Might have ‘Offender’ instead of anything good in their title…”
“Back to the Row,” a song by the YouTube group JT Music and Andrea Storm Kaden, reflects on a prevalent issue in our contemporary world: How people with fame and influence are seemingly shielded from accountability for their actions.
This unfortunate reality often results in public discourse that sidelines the accusers, many of them underage girls. It leaves them without a voice, while the accused continue to bask in their privileged positions, protected by status and connections.
Because of this, justice often takes a backseat while the victims and their accusations are dismissed. One recent example is the ongoing feud between musicians Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
As many know, Lamar’s recent hit, “Not Like Us,” was meant to expose Aubrey “Drake” Graham’s reputation involving underage girls. That followed years of back-to-back “diss tracks” with “subliminals.” (They’ve been writing lyrics insulting each other without names until recently).
While the song has drawn attention to the allegations against Drake, it’s rather disheartening to know that this only happened because another high-profile figure was speaking out.
After all, the allegations are nothing new. They go back to a concert Drake performed in 2010 in Denver. During the concert, then 23-year-old Drake brought a 17-year-old fan onto the stage, where he complimented her hair while standing behind her.
Then he lowered her shirt, exposing the back of her neck, prompting cheers from the crowd as he kissed it. Then he wrapped his arms around her, blaming the crowd for getting him “carried away.”
Drake finally asked the teen’s age after all of that and acted surprised by the answer. Sadly, it didn’t end there. Drake proceeded to sexualize the teen’s appearance while admitting that he didn’t know if he “should feel guilty or not,” then he continued to make inappropriate comments about her body and kissed her hands, cheeks, forehead and lips. It was one of many instances of Drake acting creepily toward underage girls.
Other examples include the time he posted “If she’s 16, I’m 16” on Twitter, and his multiple “friendships” with those far younger. Drake had relationships with Billie Eilish at 17, Hailey Bieber at 15, Millie Bobbie Brown at 13 and Bella Harris at 16.
Even Cydney Christine, 16, said Drake reached out to her after following her on social media for six years, mentioning he liked “women’s high school basketball.”
Though some of these celebrities backed Drake when they were younger, Eilish and Brown no longer do. Eilish has been seen dancing along to “Not Like Us.”
But Drake’s not alone. Other celebrities have faced similar scrutiny for predatory behavior in recent years with no legal repercussions.
They often leverage their resources to prolong cases or exploit loopholes. For instance, Sean Love Combs (publicly known as P Diddy) has been characterized as a pervert and a criminal by celebrities such as Marshall Mathers (Eminem) and TV shows such as “Boondocks.”
In recent years, Combs has been accused of predatory behavior by his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who filed a lawsuit alleging he sexually and physically assaulted her. By the end of 2023, three other women had come forward, and now there are 120 accusers.
Federal officials in New York City charged Combs last month with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.
A judge denied bail, so he’s now in jail. Colson Baker (stage name Machine Gun Kelly) and Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (Dr. Luke) have also used their influence to navigate and manipulate the legal system.
Dr. Luke’s legal battles with Kesha Rose Sebert show how idols handle complex legal issues.
After years of alleged abuse, Sebert filed a civil lawsuit in 2014.
She stated that Dr. Luke not only sexually assaulted and battered her but threatened both her and her family when she sought to leave his label for DAS and Warner back in 2006, causing her to face multiple financial repercussions.
She even accused him of pressuring her into unhealthy practices that led to an eating disorder. Dr. Luke responded with a countersuit.
In 2016, he reportedly offered to release Sebert from her contract if she retracted her allegations, and she declined.
Throughout this process, she received public backing from various celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift. Sadly, I don’t feel comfortable delving deeper into this case due to Dr. Luke’s history of suing people for any derogatory comments.
Machine Gun Kelly or MGK, a musician who’s been laughed out of both the rap and alternative scenes, also has had his fair share of controversy related to underage girls.
In a series of posts on social media, MGK stated, “There’s a little 13 year old girl next to me goin crazy over my transformers tattoo.
Don’t wry tho yall, I won’t pull a R Kelly,” “I wish 13/14/15 year old girls weren’t allowed to be hot so I wouldn’t feel like such a creeper when I look at them… I’m still 19 #imjustsaying” and “Ok so i just saw a picture of Eminem’s daughter … She was 16 at the time and i have to say, she is hot as fuck, in the most respectful way possible cuz Em is king.”
Then there was MGK’s infamous interview on Fuse, in which he stated, “I don’t care who my first celebrity crush was because right now it’s Kendall Jenner.”
At the time, Jenner was only 17 and underage in her state. Still, he continued. “Don’t let me move to LA … oof, I’m finding her.” When MGK was asked if he was “counting down the days” until Jenner turned 18, he said he wasn’t waiting and that he’d “go now.”
He also claimed that he wasn’t a “creepy age” because he was 23. “She’s like a celebrity,” he said. “… There’s no limits right there.”
MGK tried to defend himself by naming other rock stars, such as Robert Plant and Axel Rose, who have been known for relationships with much younger girls.
He ended the discussion by saying, “I don’t care, say what you want, man. If Kendall Jenner is in your bedroom naked and you’re 50, you’re going.”
Nobody has stepped forward to accuse MGK of sexual assault.
Still, he’s known for being violent and abusing drugs, which led him to shoot up a car and attack a bouncer with a bottle during a bar fight.
Parking attendant John Martin Tilli filed a lawsuit against him alleging assault, but he later dropped it. Now, how can I write about celebrity predators without bringing up Nickelodeon’s once-honored writer and producer Dan Schneider?
The answer: I can’t. Schneider has been around for decades, influencing so many of our favorite childhood programs. How could he, the man we all looked up to, be a monster?
Honestly, it really hurt me to learn about this one. But not nearly as much as he hurt his child actors. Critics include child actors Drake Bell, Amanda Bynes and Jennette McCurdy.
McCurdy described mistreatment of minors by Schneider and others in a book called, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” identifying him only as “the creator” without naming him.
Then came the 2024 documentary series “Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.” It covered a Nickelodeon era with Brian Peck, Jason Handy and Ezel Channel, who worked for Schneider’s Bakery production company.
They were later convicted of charges related to child sexual abuse. Schneider was accused of being verbally abusive and screaming at child actors, picking out “skimpy” clothing for them to wear, showing them pornography, casting them in scenes that made them uncomfortable and saying, “I can put them in any horrible predicament I choose.”
Videos floating around the internet show him being uncomfortably close to the actors, and an old series of shorts he uploaded called “The Slap” feature young celebrities acting out things that wouldn’t be approved for general network airing.
In one instance, Ariana Grande was forced to “juice a potato” and “drink water upside-down.” Schneider has filed a defamation lawsuit related to “Quiet on Set,” arguing that the series implied he had sexually assaulted children.
With limited information, it can be difficult to decide who to believe in these kinds of situations. However, when the evidence is clear, people should be held accountable for their actions, regardless of money or fame, and with 2024 being the year of so many celebrities being exposed, it’s in everyone’s best interest to reevaluate who deserves our respect.