Violinist and longtime member of Dave Matthews Band Boyd Tinsley has been kicked out of the band amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Earlier this week it was reported that Tinsley was being sued by a former bandmate and trumpeter James Frost-Winn for sexual harassment.
In a lawsuit, Frost-Winn details how Tinsley subjected him to “sexually flirting with verbal sexual comments, physically touching and sexting,” when the two men were in the band Crystal Garden, Billboard reports.
The allegations date back to 2014 and eventually led Frost-Winn to have a "loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, and humiliation in an amount to be proven at trial," the lawsuit details.
Tinsley announced a leave of absence in February — the same day that Frost-Winn initially sent Tinsley a letter confronting him of the inappropriate behavior and his intention to bring the case to court, Av Club reported.
The band soon issued this statement: “Though Boyd is no longer a member of the band, we are shocked by these disturbing allegations and we were not previously aware of them.”
Dave Matthews Band will release its new album “Come Tomorrow” on June 8 on RCA Records — its first studio album since 2012. Here’s the track list.
Matthews has been a longtime Philly favorite, especially in the summer months. The group usually makes appearances in Camden, New Jersey at the BB&T Pavilion.
This summer, Matthews will perform in Camden on June 15 and 16.
In an interview with Vulture, frontman Matthews said he has a “deep love” for Boyd, and “he has to deal with his stuff.”
“I can’t say, ‘I can’t wait till he comes back,’ because I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Matthews said. “But right now being away is better for him. Nobody is happy about this situation. Except that we’re happy he can figure some stuff out. I hope he does.”