Chase Matthew has spoken out following the arrest of former band member Carsen Richards, who was taken into custody in Kentucky over the weekend on serious felony charges.
Richards was arrested shortly after performing with Matthew’s band at the BBQ & Barrels festival in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Multiple outlets including The Owensboro Times have since reported that Richards is facing charges relating to alleged incidents involving a minor.
Following the arrest, Matthew shared a lengthy statement on social media, making it clear he was blindsided by the allegations and had immediately cut ties with Richards.
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“This situation has honestly been one of the most shocking and heartbreaking things I’ve ever experienced,” Matthew wrote.
“When I first heard the allegations, I was sick to my stomach. I would never associate myself with a person I think could even be remotely capable of something like this, much less hire them to be on my team.”
Matthew went on to explain that he had no prior knowledge of the accusations before they became public.
“The reality is, you don’t always know what someone may be doing outside of your workplace, and nothing would have made me believe this was a possibility,” he said.
“As of his arrest this past weekend, this individual was immediately removed from the band and is no longer associated with me or my team in any capacity.”
Matthew also directly condemned the alleged behaviour and expressed sympathy for anyone affected.
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“And I want to be very clear: I do not support or tolerate behavior of this kind whatsoever, I am truly disturbed and disgusted by the details of these allegations. My heart breaks for anyone affected.
Like you, I’m learning this information as it comes out publicly. I don’t know anything more than y’all know. This is an ongoing legal matter, and I trust that the legal system will go through the correct procedures to get to the bottom of this.”
