Feist to exit Arcade Fire tour amid Win Butler misconduct allegations: 'I can’t continue'

Canadian singer-songwriter Feist has broken her silence on the sexual misconduct allegations against Arcade Fire's Win Butler, who she's been touring with as part of the rock band's WE concert series.

In an Instagram post Thursday, the indie pop singer shared she will be leaving the tour after grappling with the difficult decision and its impact on her band, crew and all the families involved.

Her manager Robbie Lackritz confirmed to USA TODAY her departure is effective immediately.

"We didn’t have any time to prepare for what was coming let alone a chance to decide not to fly across the ocean into the belly of this situation," she wrote. "This has been incredibly difficult for me and I can only imagine how much more difficult it’s been for the people who came forward. More than anything I wish healing to those involved."

She said that the situation has "ignited a conversation that is bigger than me" and while she doesn't want to leave the conversation, "the best way to take care of my band and crew and my family is to distance myself from this tour."

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"The last two nights on stage, my songs made this decision for me. Hearing them through this lens was incongruous with what I’ve worked to clarify for myself through my whole career. I’ve always written songs to name my own subtle difficulties, aspire to my best self and claim responsibility when I need to. And I’m claiming my responsibility now and going home."

Arcade Fire said in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday that the group is "very sorry to see Leslie go home, but completely understand and respect her decision."

Accusations against Butler first surfaced Saturday when Pitchfork published interviews with three people claiming sexual misconduct and one claiming sexual assault at the hands of the Arcade Fire frontman. He claims they were "consensual" encounters.

Three women and one person, who identifies as gender-fluid and uses they/them pronouns, told the outlet that Butler, 42, made unwanted advances and used his status as a musician to pressure them into sexual situations.

The accusers were ages 18 to 23 when sexual advances from the musician allegedly occurred between 2016 and 2020, they told the outlet. Butler was 36 at the start of the allegations. He is married to Régine Chassagne.

Representatives for Butler told USA TODAY Saturday evening that they had no additional comment beyond the statement Butler gave Pitchfork.

"I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened," Butler told Pitchfork.

He said that he's struggled with alcoholism, mental health issues and "the ghosts of childhood abuse" but "none of this is intended to excuse my behavior." He also shared he was going to therapy and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

In Feist's statement, she wrote of the "spectrum" of abuse "ranging from baseline toxic masculinity to pervasive misogyny to actually being physically, psychologically, emotionally or sexually assaulted."

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"This situation touches each of our lives and speaks to us in a language unique to each of our processing. There isn’t a singular path to heal when you’ve endured any version of the above, nor a singular path to rehabilitate the perpetrators. It can be a lonely road to make sense of ill treatment. I can’t solve that by quitting, and I can’t solve it by staying. But I can’t continue."

Feist, full name Leslie Feist, performs both as a solo artist and as part of the group Broken Social Scene. The Grammy-nominated artist, 46, launched her solo career in 1999 with her album "Monarch." Her most recent album is 2017's "Pleasure."

Arcade Fire opened the first night of its tour Tuesday night in Dublin, just days after the Pitchfork interview was published. The group is scheduled to tour throughout Europe in September. The band's first U.S. show is scheduled for Oct. 27 in Washington, D.C.

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Contributing: Naledi Ushe

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arcade Fire tour: Feist leaves amid Win Butler misconduct allegations