Kim Fowley’s Estate is being sued by Runaways’ songwriter for sexual assault

nme.com:

The Runaways‘ songwriter Kari Krome has sued the estate of Kim Fowley and former KROQ DJ and club owner Rodney Bingenheimer for sexual assault of a minor.As reported by Rolling Stone, Krome – real name Cari Lee Mitchell – filed the lawsuit accusing both Fowley and Bingenheimer of sexually assaulting her when she was 13.According to the suit, Krome alleges that both Fowley and Bingenheimer groomed her before sexually abusing her.Mitchell also shared the impact these allegations have had on her for years. “You can come to a conclusion or think that something isn’t right, but if you’re speaking on something too soon, a lot of times you’ll get nothing but blowback, and you have to wait until the time is right,” she told Rolling Stone.“I never shut up about it.

Just nobody wanted to hear it. Nobody seemed to care. We’re still looking at these characters through a lens of glamorisation of that era and that scene instead of looking at them through a lens of doing things that are criminal.” The suit obtained by Variety stated: “When Plaintiff was approximately 13 and 14 and 15 years old, Defendant Rodney Bingenheimer and Defendant Kim Fowley used their roles, status, and power as adults, as well as their connections to and work in the music industry to gain access to manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault Plaintiff in the State of California, County of Los Angeles.“As a result of Defendant Rodney Bingenheimer’s and Defendant Kim Fowley’s sexual abuse and assault, Plaintiff has suffered severe emotional, physical and psychological distress, including shame, and guilt, economic loss, economic capacity and emotional loss.”This is not the first time Fowley has been accused of sexual assault.