Music Publicist Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Dirty Projectors Member Amber Coffman
Last night on Twitter Amber Coffman, one of the members of Brooklyn-based band Dirty Projectors, began tweeting about her experience with music publicist Heathcliff Berru of Life or Death PR and Management. Coffman recalled an incident where the publicist rubbed her ass and bit her hair, in front of several of her male friends.
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689241020769280000
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689241386038607872
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689243235986702337
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689245788392669184
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689287391081660416
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689287711878860800
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689289076319490049
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689292700076486656
After Coffman shared her experience, another LA-based music publicist, Beth Martinez, replied that she had a similar experience:
Can verify this from personal experience https://t.co/otCFQKn8RY
— Beth Martinez. Hero. (@dangervillage) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman yeah had similar experience
— Beth Martinez. Hero. (@dangervillage) January 19, 2016
.@Amber_Coffman he repeatedly put his hand down my shirt while driving me home after I told him to stop many times
— Beth Martinez. Hero. (@dangervillage) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman then "apologized" the next day and told me not to tell our mutual friend
— Beth Martinez. Hero. (@dangervillage) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman I was too ashamed to tell anyone for years, and took me years to realize how fucked up that was
— Beth Martinez. Hero. (@dangervillage) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman my stories aren't even comparatively bad to what has happened to other girls by this person
— Beth Martinez. Hero. (@dangervillage) January 19, 2016
Martinez also shared her experience being roofied in Los Angeles and her concerns that it was related.
Other women in the music industry, including publicist Judy Silverman of Motormouth Media, and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast also commented:
Someone is saying something important and you're all reading, but you all don't want to be involved.
— Judy MillerSilverman (@motormouthmedia) January 19, 2016
Cosby is the hugest case-in-point of the fear of women have to admit any form of harassment. We look dumb, nobody believes is, we are sluts
— Judy MillerSilverman (@motormouthmedia) January 19, 2016
I've known ambers story for 3 years. It was not mine to tell publicly. But people knew.
— Judy MillerSilverman (@motormouthmedia) January 19, 2016
I've known Beth's for longer.
— Judy MillerSilverman (@motormouthmedia) January 19, 2016
@motormouthmedia I genuinely thought most people knew stories like this and chose not to care. seems like not, I'm glad she said something
— HannahSilkChampagne (@hsilkchampagne) January 19, 2016
Thank you @Amber_Coffman for bravely speaking the truth. Heathcliff Berru is a scumbag and I'm glad someone finally spoke up.
— Bethany Cosentino (@BethanyCoast) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman good for you for doing this. I was too freaked out to ever say anything. Seriously he's not a good person on any level.
— Bethany Cosentino (@BethanyCoast) January 19, 2016
Life or Death PR is a prominent, successful PR company, and has an extensive roster, including acts like D’Angelo, Odd Future, Killer Mike, Kelela, Speedy Ortiz, Wavves, DIIV and Wet. We have reached out for comment from Life or Death and will update accordingly if we hear from them.
UPDATE: Since publishing this, Coffman has responded to the coverage of her story, and said Domino Records chose to discontinue working with Life or Death after she told them about her experience.
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689502178801651713
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689502505206550528
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689502862259290112
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689503574477266944
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689505846825357314
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689506291606106112
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689506941245063168
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689507300197806083
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689528908098592768
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689529098624901120
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689530410703818752
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689530924971655168
Several other women and musicians have also shared their stories (full disclosure, Theo Karatzas is a close friend of mine):
dude this is real…had to tell him to fuck off and leave me alone at bonnaroo a couple years ago @Amber_Coffman https://t.co/6h2wTlLxB4
— Martika Finch (@mAAAtika) January 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/theokaratzas/status/689504299018092544
@dangervillage @Amber_Coffman Had an experience or two where he was uncomfortably aggressive in ways I thankfully don't usually experience
— Shirley Braha (@shirleybraha) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman – sadly had a similar hb experience years ago in brooklyn. sexual harassment is a serious issue, thank you for speaking up.
— christy merriner (@merriner) January 19, 2016
Thank you @Amber_Coffman in 2009 he grabbed my ass and then held me down onto my couch as he unzipped his pants &forced my hand on his dick.
— TEARIST (@_TEARIST_) January 19, 2016
.@Amber_Coffman I told our "manager" at the time who said "we are going to have to get over that arent we" if I cared about my band.
— TEARIST (@_TEARIST_) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman this same night he roofied at least 2 other girls. he never touched me but i heard it all verbally. his crew is this best tho
— faithy (@0xfaithy) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman it is hard to speak out because his entire crew are homies but women need to stand strong. i hope the company doesn't fail
— faithy (@0xfaithy) January 19, 2016
@Amber_Coffman due to just his actions.
— faithy (@0xfaithy) January 19, 2016
It's weird when your homie does bad things to other girls and even to you but it's still hard to speak on it. Gotta stand up sometimes.
— faithy (@0xfaithy) January 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/thebalamacab/status/689557910842687488
UPDATE #2: Roxy Lange reached out to me via email to share her assault story:
Heathcliff Beru sexually assaulted me when I first moved to NYC in 2007, I was 21 years-old. He kept trying to force me to give him a blowjob in a cab and wouldn’t stop pushing my head into his lap forcefully, with his pants unzipped and penis out in the open. After I got out of the cab, he followed me up 3 flights of stairs and forced his way into my apartment, attempting to force himself on me but he was luckily too drunk and coked up to get hard so he gave up. He then pissed himself and fell asleep in my bed while I laid there, a very drunk 21 year-old experiencing NY nightlife for the first time and this happened to me. About a year ago, I ran into him while grocery shopping in Silver Lake with his wife and he hugged me, I wanted to throw up. I repressed this memory for so long and always assumed that I brought this upon myself because I was very drunk that evening but that’s not the case at all. He’s a disgusting, loser scumbag who doesn’t respect women. It pains me to know that there are others out there who have been violated by Berru, it makes me sick to my stomach.
UPDATE #3: Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz, DIIV and Wavves have addressed their respective situations with Life Or Death:
we worked w 2 great publicists at life or death on foil deer. never met/spoke to heathcliff. it's fucked to hear about this abuse&harassment
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) January 19, 2016
we're waiting to have a longer convo with them. but we fully support @Amber_Coffman @dangervillage @maaatika for bringing this info public
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) January 19, 2016
and want to make it clear that we have no interest in directly or indirectly supporting an abuser, now or ever
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) January 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/wavves/status/689544563636117504
DIIV will no longer be working with Life or Death PR.
— DIIV (@DIIV) January 19, 2016
UPDATE #4: Heathcliff Berru has stepped down as the CEO of Life or Death PR, and the company has issued the following statement (via Pitchfork):
Life or Death has a zero tolerance policy for the type of conduct alleged in today’s on-line postings. We take these allegations very seriously. The men and women who make up this company do not, and will not, condone or tolerate any conduct described in the on-line postings. Life Or Death is 3 men and 3 women who are committed to promoting art and serving the clients that we’re so privileged to represent. We are taking measures to ensure that the alleged behavior did not, and will not, make its way into company operations or impact our commitment to promoting art and assisting our clients. We are grateful to Heathcliff Berru for all the work he’s done to date and his creative vision at the company. We appreciate and support his decision to step down as CEO of Life Or Death.
UPDATE #5: Speedy Ortiz and Kelela have also announced they will no longer be working with Life or Death PR:
we're thankful to the folks at life or death we worked w directly (not heathcliff). but after hearing these stories we're no longer w/ LoD
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) January 19, 2016
wishing best to folks who worked there. they seem nauseated. but doesn't feel personally ok to work w a company built by an attempted rapist
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) January 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/kelelam/status/689608583638454273
UPDATE #6: Berru issued his own statement to LA Weekly:
There have been several reports about my alleged inappropriate behavior which deserve a response. I am deeply sorry for those who I have offended by my actions and how I have made certain women feel. If I crossed the line of decency or respectfulness in situations when I was drunk and under the influence, there is no excuse of course. To be clear, while my conduct may have been inappropriate, I have never drugged anyone or engaged in that type of behavior. Nevertheless, I do not want to be the type of person who would let drugs or alcohol take command of his life and compromise how he treats people. Yet I have been this person and it’s time to put a stop to all of this. Create a world with one less inappropriate man.
I have been fighting a losing battle against drugs and alcohol for many years and will be checking into a rehabilitation facility in the hope that I can improve my chances of winning that fight. A year ago, I was confronted by a peer and began to try to clean up and make things right with therapy and with an eye towards quitting the addiction. The shame and sadness feels as strong now as it did then and I am making an immediate change.
I have already lost my wife, abandoned my family, and destroyed those I love as a result of my shameful, embarrassing, unacceptable behavior. I deeply apologize to them as well. By no means do they deserve to feel the pain of my actions. Please give them the space they deserve. They were the light at the end of a dark tunnel. I was married during some of these years and hid my problems from everyone well. Especially her and her family. Totally inexcusable.
In no way do these allegations reflect on Life or Death PR, its staff, or anyone associated with the company. These are my issues, not theirs. I could not be more proud of the company and what it stands for. That being said I have stepped down as the CEO and relinquishing all responsibility to the current president, Nick Dierl. The company shouldn’t have to deal with this distraction and I want Nick and the rest of the team to continue to do their good work while I take care of myself.
In the meantime, Chelsea Wolfe shared her own story:
http://twitter.com/CCHELSEAWWOLFE/status/689631082522611712
http://twitter.com/CCHELSEAWWOLFE/status/689631226005590016
And Coffman commented:
http://twitter.com/Amber_Coffman/status/689736463290740736
UPDATE #7: Killer Mike has issued a statement supporting his friend Cliff, and commending Amber’s bravery in coming forward:
My Publicist Lost his wife, biz & Rep. My friend Got an ear full from me about how fucked up he behaved. Amber deserves all our support
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
And she and those other women have mine.
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
My day to day publicist is Dunkin and he will continue to be. Cliff is still my friend and i will support him in being a better human being
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
Life or death is no more and cliff will be dealing with his drug and alcohol issues.
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
My real desire is to see These women Whole healthy and rocking out like great artist and members or the culture.
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
I'm glad The employees (former) of life or death had a plan ready for clients and we chug along without Cliff but with hope that he grows
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
Into the best version of himself we all know is there. My best wishes again to Amber and all the women involved. Your bravery is Admirable
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
I have set my DMs public if anyone else wants to contact me in connection to this story please do so either there or by email at caitlin@northsidemediagroup.com. Can be on or off the record — if you just need to talk to someone I am here for that, too.