Fan of music star Rex Orange County are taking to social media to express their regret over tattoos inspired by the musician — in light of the allegations of sexual assault he now faces.
The 24-year-old British musician, whose real name is Alex O’Connor, was slapped with claims of sexual abuse by a woman who alleges he assaulted her in London on six separate occasions in two days.
He was released on unconditional bail Monday after denying the allegations and has a provisional trial date set for Jan. 3, 2023.
As the news broke this week, fans turned to social media to express their heartbreak for the alleged victim and themselves.
“Me staring at the rex orange county tattoo on my ankle,” Nicole Ramirez, 23, tweeted with a photo of a wide-eyed video game character.
She shared a photo her small sunflower tattoo explaining that she got the design in honor of the Rex Orange County song “Sunflower.”
“The first time I heard the song, I just felt a pull towards it and felt like it was the first time a song was made for me,” Ramirez told BuzzFeed News. “Specifically the part ‘sunflower still grows at night,’ because to me it’s like even in the dark, there’s still potential to grow and change even if the sun isn’t always shining, and it really stuck with me for that specific time in my life.”
The former die-hard fan said that the allegations made against the singer are “disappointing.”
“It also just really makes you take off the rose-colored glasses that I’m sure me, and many other fans, tend to put on for the people they enjoy,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez has been poking fun at herself on social media as the replies to her viral tweet have continued to pour in along with other conflicted fans sharing photos of their Rex Orange County-inspired tattoos.
Twitter user @nataliesyver and TikToker @zac.phil also shared photos of their ink inspired by Rex Orange County as others posted videos of themselves destroying less permanent mementos of the musician, such as vinyl records, stickers and autographed posters.
Kayla Ellis, 19, replied to Ramirez’s viral tweet with a photo of her tattoo of a television set that reads “So far so good…” on the screen.
“I love this design regardless and the meaning behind it hasn’t changed,” she tweeted. “This tattoo is for [a] song that was the only thing that kept me alive for a very long time, not a person.”
Ellis is one of many former Rex Orange County fans conflicted with how to handle the news of their favorite artist.
“My heart immediately broke for the alleged victim,” Ellis told BuzzFeed News. “I started crying almost instantly because I knew nothing was gonna be the same after hearing this.”
The young woman feels especially emotional about the allegations as a victim of sexual assault herself. “I know how hard it is to experience something like that and then to come forward,” she said.
Rex Orange County has adamantly denied the allegations from the unnamed woman. “Alex is shocked by the allegations, which he denies, and looks forward to clearing his name in court. He is unable to make any further comment because of the ongoing proceedings,” his rep told The Post.
This case is just the latest in a long cultural debates of cancel culture and deciding if and how to separate problematic artists from their art.