Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley accuses former manager of sexual assault in new memoir

WARNING: This story contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who has.

Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41’s singer Deryck Whibley accuses his former manager and frontman of the group Treble Charger, Greig Nori, of grooming and sexual assault in his newly published memoir. Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell.

In the book, Whibley, a native of Ajax, Ontario, described the evolution of his relationship with Nori, whom he met at age 16, when Nori was 34.

CBC News was unable to independently verify the detailed allegations contained in the memoir.

Whibley said Nori quickly became a mentor and “father figure,” teaching him how to shave, tie a tie and drive a car, before introducing the band to drugs and alcohol and eventually a sexual relationship with a “freshly 18-year-old” Whibley.

From “father figure” to “being put under pressure”

Whibley claimed he and Nori became “inseparable” when he began working as Nori’s chauffeur and assistant while still in high school. Nori eventually became Sum 41’s manager, booking studio sessions and inviting the band to parties and raves.

Whibley said Nori’s only requirement for her manager’s role was that they “couldn’t talk to anyone but him because the music business was ‘full of snakes and liars’ and he was the only person we could trust.”

Whibley claims that the relationship between him and Nori began sexually in 1998, after he turned 18. Whibley described an instance when Nori invited him into the bathroom during a rave to take ecstasy. In the cabin, Whibley claims Nori grabbed him and kissed him.

“He reached out, grabbed my face and kissed me passionately on the mouth… I stood there having no idea what to say,” Whibley wrote.

Whibley described feeling “very confused” as time went on. He said Nori tried to convince him to take their relationship further by explaining that many rock stars Whibley idolized were queer and bisexual.

“He was so relentless and persuasive that after a while I began to think that perhaps he was right,” Whibley wrote.

“Greig was always pushing for something to happen when we were together. I felt like I was being pressured to do something against my will,” he wrote.

Representatives for Whibley declined a request for an interview. Neither Nori nor his representatives responded to CBC News’ requests for comment at the time of publication. However, Nori has responded in other media outlets and denied the claims.

VIEW | Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley talks about writing a memoir:

Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley talks about writing a memoir

During a Facebook Live, Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley talks about how he felt and shares details of his relationship with former manager Greig Nori in his new memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell. Whibley claims he was “groomed” by Nori, who he says “pressured him into having a sexual relationship” when he was 18.

Karen Bliss is a Canadian music journalist who has investigated and reported on allegations of sexual assault in the music industry. She said such things supposedly happen because of the power structures within the industry.

“There are gatekeepers and too many suspected predators who use their power and position to manipulate, coerce and promote young artists,” she said in an interview with CBC News.

Whibley said he kept the relationship a secret from his bandmates because he felt shame and confusion, feelings he said were further complicated by alcohol and drug intoxication.

“I began to disengage mentally and physically… I felt ashamed that I had given in to Greig,” he wrote.

“Angry” and “scream”

Whibley claims he tried to break things off several times, but Nori “pushed back.”

He described one instance when he talked about ending things while the two were in Nori’s car.

“I cried and talked and cried and talked until I had nothing left to say,” Whibley wrote. Then, according to Whibley, things escalated.

“I looked over at Greig and he was fuming. For the first time he started yelling at me…He told me this was all my fault from the start because I should never have said yes in the first place…that he knew better than me and I was too young “to understand that what we had was special,” Whibley wrote.

“I sat there in the passenger seat and felt ashamed.”

According to Whibley, Nori eventually stopped making sexual advances when a mutual friend found out what had happened. The band fired Nori after the release of their third studio album. feed, which came out in 2004.

Bliss said she “commends” Whibley for coming forward and “highly hopes the industry moves forward.”

“Maybe it’s up to us adults in the music industry to go to that young person and say, ‘Are you okay? Are you sure if something happens that you don’t want?’”

Sum 41 is currently on his final tour. Last year it issued a statement announcing its dissolution.

The group’s eighth and final album, heaven :x: hell, was released on March 29th.

Support is available for anyone who has been sexually abused. You can access crisis hotlines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. ​​If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.