Travis Barker is “disgusted” by the direct messages that 20-year-old Echosmith drummer Graham Sierota allegedly sent his 13-year-old daughter, Alabama. Sierota has since apologized in a statement to Page Six for contacting her earlier this summer, saying he “didn’t realize she was a minor.”
“When I found out a 20-year-old man was trying to get in touch with my 13-year-old daughter by filling her Instagram messages with party invites and compliments I was disgusted,” Travis, 43, told The Blast. “That’s predatory behavior and there is nothing cool, normal or OK about it at all.”
Alabama also called out Sierota on her Instagram Stories, writing over a screenshot of his alleged messages, “Hey guys! So once again I am bringing this to your attention because I’m a 13 year old girl and he is 21/20 super creepy.”
The messages appear to show that Sierota contacted Alabama as early as September 2016 when she was just 10 years old.
“By the way I’m Graham from echosmith and I think you’re beautiful,” the then-17-year-old allegedly wrote, according to Alabama’s Instagram post.
Then, on July 12 of this year, Sierota appears to have reached out again and sent her an invitation to a BBQ event.
Alabama, who is Travis’ daughter with ex Shanna Moakler, says she responded, “Ur like 40,” to which he allegedly said, “I just wanted to say i really like your music and sorry for messaging and I’m 20.”
The teen then wrote back, “Ok but u understand I’m a child?”
Sierota told us he invited Alabama to his “parents’ big family BBQ along with many other people,” adding that it “wasn’t until she responded that I realized her age at which point I apologized to her.”
He continued, “I’m really sorry and feel very badly about this. I didn’t realize she was a minor and assumed she was my age. I made a careless mistake and this is a big lesson for me. I would like to apologize again to Alabama, her dad Travis, and her family.”
He did not address the alleged messages from 2016.
Hours later, Alabama shared on Instagram that she had accepted Sierota’s apology.
She wrote, “[Graham] is very sorry about the situation and regretful. I forgive him and would like for this all to be over.”