Seal has been accused of sexual battery by actress Tracey Birdsall. Birdsall, a former neighbor of Seal’s says the “Kiss From a Rose” singer kissed and groped her against her consent. TMZ notes that a report was taken by the LA County Sheriff’s Department this past Saturday, despite the incident having unfolded more than a year ago.
Birdsall claims that she and Seal had become good friends after moving in next door to each other. However, she says Seal overstepped his boundaries when he attempted to grope and kiss her one day in his kitchen. She also alleges that after she rebuffed his advances, Seal went on to “belittle” her over her outfit, insinuating that she was “asking for it” due to wearing a tank top and shorts. That interaction was the last the two ever had.
(Read: A Running List of All the Dudes Accused of Sexual Misconduct Since Harvey Weinstein)
In a statement to TMZ, a representative for Seal said, “Seal vehemently denies the recent allegations made against him by a former neighbor for alleged misconduct more than a year ago. He intends to vigorously defend himself against these false allegations.”
Birdsall says she decided to share her story with authorities after Seal’s recent comments regarding Oprah and Harvey Weinstein. He also encouraged women to come forward and share their own stories of sexual misconduct: