Tilly Birds fans rushed to defend them against criticism after the band waded into the growing controversy surrounding singer-songwriter Stamp Apiwat, whose recount of being harassment victims sent shockwaves across the industry.
The band drew flak following the release of a statement on 18 January, where they disclosed that they knew who Stamp’s alleged harasser was, and that the person worked as a sound engineer with the band.
Despite requests – reportedly from Stamp – to fire the said person, Tilly Birds declined to do so, noting that the employment of the person was not related to the ongoing controversy. They also felt they needed to remain neutral and so did not want to interfere in what they saw were “personal affairs”.
The decision to do so drew flak from some netizens, who felt the band was complicit in the harassment.
Fans leapt to the defence of the band quickly, just as new developments began to emerge. The hashtag #SaveTillyBirds began to trend in the afternoon of 19 January, as fans rallied round the band, calling out those who had left “toxic comments”.
Stamp’s account – that the sound engineer and his girlfriend – harassed him and his wife Jerisuda Sriwat was disproved by the sound engineer who counter-alleged that the case was about adultery and not harrassment,
A Facebook account, purportedly a friend of Stamp’s, also countered the singer’s account of events, saying the singer “did not tell the full story”.
Noting that “many artistes were affected” by the controversy even though they had no part in it, the friend also reveals that the incident involves adultery, and not a case of harassment.
As the controversy continues to grow, Stamp, who first revealed the allegations on 15 January, has yet to respond to the latest developments. Through a lawyer, he is believed to be issuing a formal response soon.
This story is developing.
