SWMRS’ Joey Armstrong, Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Regrettes’ Lydia Night, Issues Statement

Lydia Night of the Regrettes released a statement on Monday (July 20) accusing SWMRS drummer Joey Armstrong—son of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong—of emotional abuse and sexual misconduct. Night wrote about the nature of her relationship with Joey Armstrong when she was 16 and 17 years old. On Tuesday, Armstrong responded with a statement in response.

In Night’s statement, she wrote that she long thought of her relationship with Armstrong as “toxic and not something valid enough to share, but now I know that what I actually experienced was emotional abuse and sexual coercion by someone in a position of power over me.” She detailed multiple instances where she felt pressured into sexual encounters. “Every time we took a step sexually it was because he wanted to and made it clear by either putting my hand on his crotch or shaming me for saying I wasn’t comfortable, gaslighting me, or ignoring me when I didn’t give my consent,” she wrote.

Night wrote that “traumatic events” from her relationship with Armstrong continued to impact her years later. She claimed that in December 2019, she confronted Armstrong. “Even though he interrupted me throughout our conversation, he seemed to somewhat take in what I was telling him and apologized,” she wrote. In the past few weeks, Armstrong sent her a handwritten apology.

On Sunday, SWMRS released a statement supporting people coming forward with allegations. Night called out SWMRS for their “unbelievably hypocritical statement” and said that after the band’s statement was released, she heard from Armstrong. “Joey texted me to follow up on the letter which was a completely transparent attempt at feeling out what I was gonna do knowing the pure hypocrisy their statement held.”

Armstrong responded to Night publicly in a post shared on SWMRS’ Instagram account on Tuesday. “I want to address Lydia’s Instagram post about our relationship,” Armstrong wrote. “While I don’t agree with some of the things she said about me, it’s important she be allowed to say them and that she be supported for speaking out. I respect her immensely and fully accept that I failed her as a partner. I was selfish and I didn’t treat her the way she deserves to have been treated both during our relationship and in the two years since we broke up. I have apologized to her privately and I hope she can forgive me, if and when she is ready to do so. I own my mistakes and will work hard to regain the trust that I lost.”

Night’s statement arrived during a period when multiple people came forward with allegations of misconduct against multiple artists and individuals in the West Coast rock scene. In response to stories that circulated on social media, Burger Records announced plans to undergo structural changes as a co-founder resigned. SWMRS’ tape edition of their 2016 album Drive North was released by Burger.