EXCLUSIVE: Island Records Australia accused of covering up Dean Lewis grooming allegations

An insider who worked closely with Dean Lewis has told the Canary that Island Records Australia covered up accusations about him grooming young fans. The people closest to Lewis then attempted to silence the women with cease-and-desist letters.

Over the past several weeks, accusations against Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis have been widely circulating on social media. From grooming young fans and sexual assault, to sending sexually inappropriate messages to teenagers, and lying about his age – all of the accusations have made fans question the vulnerable, sad-boy persona that his music gives off.

But now, an anonymous source, who previously worked with Dean Lewis, has spoken out. They told the Canary that both Dean’s close team and Island Records Australia were aware of the allegations, but:

Island Records needs Dean to be successful. His music is is effectively bankrolling the rest of the roster.

From the start of their employment with Dean, other music industry professionals quickly made them aware of the allegations against Dean Lewis. These allegations were “inside the boundaries of the law” – but highly inappropriate.

Cease-and-desist

According to the Canary’s source, Dean’s team sent cease-and-desist letters to the accusers – an initimidating legal document – in an attempt to silence them.

The source said they didn’t take much notice of the allegations at first, but over time, they received more and more messages saying similar things. It then became apparent that:

It was already a known thing that Dean’s internal team had been dealing with.

Eventually, it led them to quit. They realised:

I can’t really work for this guy anymore. Not only does he treat all of us kind of bad. He also seems to not have his head screwed on in his interaction with fans.

And it wasn’t just one person who left. The source told the Canary that management teams, touring teams, and other individuals close to Dean all quit due to the accusations and the seeming lack of action.

Whilst some team members chose to leave, it appears that Island Records Australia also swept the allegations under the rug.

Our source told us:

Dean is signed to Island Records Australia. He’s signed out of Australia to the world.

It means that Island Records Australia effectively runs off the money that Dean’s music generates. He’s the one bankrolling that entire label.

They added that this means when Dean is “in jeopardy”, the label will “spring into action” to protect him in the best way they can. They added:

That’s why it’s been a bit like hush-hush up until now . . . Island Records needs Dean to be successful.

Without Dean in the mix, that entire operation needs a bit of a restructure

Consent

In a statement on Instagram last week, Lewis apologised to his fans but affirmed that:

I want to emphasise that none of this is illegal.

However, this raises an important point. And it’s one that the entirety of the media seems to be forgetting in their reporting over the last week on the allegations against Lewis. The ability to give free and informed consent is compromised when there is a power imbalance. Hence, why 17 or 18-year-old students cannot consent to sex with a teacher.

In UK law, the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act [2000] applies even if the relationship is consensual. Prior to this act, the age of sexual consent – 16 – was the only issue.

This act addresses “Abuse of Trust” but is limited to specific regulated settings. This includes education and care, clinics, hospitals, voluntary children’s homes, residential family centres, and criminal justice settings. In all of these positions, the ‘adult’ has significant power over the young person – even if they are above 16.

Legality v morality

That abuse of power is recognised in teachers. But they arguably have far less power over a teenage girl than a multi-millionaire pop star like Dean Lewis. How can a 16, 17, 18 or 19-year-old girl give consent when star-struck by a 40-year-old man, who has a net worth of over $8m and with over 10m followers across social platforms?

Dean may be correct from a legal standpoint – at least in the allegations he has addressed. But ethically and morally?

Additionally, the fact that Lewis was able to send cease-and-desist letters once again shows the huge power imbalance. How many young girls can afford to continue speaking out after being threatened with a lawsuit? Let alone the fear that goes along with the weight of a threat like that. All this time, he has known he could silence them. It’s a huge abuse of power.

However, there are huge questions about several accusations on TikTok which were not consensual, and don’t seem to have been addressed by Lewis’ statement.

The mental health card

Male celebrities are in the habit of playing the mental health or neurodivergence card when women make allegations about inappropriate behaviour.

Take Greg Wallace, whose friends cited his “undiagnosed autism” as the reason for his predatory behaviour. Famous tennis player Nick Kyrgios also admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend. He then avoided a conviction because of “mental health grounds”. Time and time again, rich or powerful men are able to get away with various crimes against women and avoid punishment.

In his statement on Instagram, Lewis said he would be enrolling in “intense therapy”. We can probably all agree he needs that. However, it does not negate his actions, which will have, no doubt, left countless women needing therapy. What message does it send to his victims? Oh, he couldn’t help it – his mental health is bad? Fuck that. He is a 40-year-old man preying on teenagers. Poor mental health or not, he knows exactly what he is doing.

Many people who have poor mental health are able to go about their lives without grooming, abusing, harassing, or preying on young people. Blaming mental health shifts responsibility – and prevents accountability. The bottom line is that many of these allegations are not new. Dean’s team and Island Records Australia have attempted to protect their profits while allowing Dean’s predatory behaviour to continue.

But thanks to the bravery of some young women who have spoken out, fans can finally see his true colours.

Island Records Australia, WME talent agency, and Dean Lewis were all offered the chance to respond, but did not do so by the time of publication.

Feature image via Harald Krichel/ Wikimedia Commons