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Legal
Canadian university cancels Sean Kingston gig over sexual assault lawsuit
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 2 September 2013
A Canadian university has cancelled a planned Sean Kingston gig after the pop-reggae performer settled a lawsuit with a 22 year old woman over allegations of rape.
The plaintiff sued Kingston and two of his entourage alleging that the three men sexually assaulted her at a hotel in Seattle in June 2010, after the singer had played a support slot at a Justin Bieber concert.
Kingston admits having sex with the then teenager, but insists it was consensual. But the litigant claimed she smoked marijuana and downed over seven shots of vodka during the evening and was therefore incapable of consenting to the sexual activities that followed.
A criminal investigation did occur after the alleged assault, but charges were subsequently dropped. Sources close to Kingston say the singer was confident he would likewise fight off the allegations in the civil courts, but chose to settle, without accepting guilt, because he didn’t want the legal battle to distract from his upcoming tour and release schedule.
One such source told TMZ: “[The claimant’s] story wasn’t consistent. She told various stories throughout her interviews with police. Her friend’s story wasn’t consistent with hers. The medical report had no indications of force”. It is thought the lawsuit will now be formally dismissed, though it remains to be seen if any statement is made regarding liability.
Nevertheless, news of the lawsuit convinced management and the Students’ Council at Western University in Ontario that it would be inappropriate to host a Sean Kingston concert as part of the college’s Orientation Week festivities.
A statement from the university said: “Neither Western nor the University Students’ Council is taking a position on whether Kingston committed the offence, but it was felt that while the case is before the courts, proceeding with the concert would undermine the university and the USC’s efforts to educate students that Western has zero tolerance for sexual assault”.
