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Gene Simmons Says The Demon Don’t Grind
Gene Simmons has been accused of grinding up against a make-up artist during a TV appearance last year but the bassist says that makes absolutely no sense because he was wearing his KISS stage costume featuring a codpiece over his groin.
The alleged incident took place during a November appearance Simmons and KISS drummer Eric Singer made on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
A make-up artist named Victoria Jackson claims that Simmons hugged and “grinded” her in a hallway at the ESPN studios in Los Angeles, according to Reuters.
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Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
Jackson allegedly had her lawyer contact Simmons in January, threatening the rocker/reality star with a lawsuit over the incident unless he handed over $185,000.
She said that because of the alleged incident she “suffered from humiliation, shame, embarrassment, anger, anxiety, loss of sleep and depression,” according to TMZ.com.
Rather than pay up, Simmons’ legal team filed court papers in Los Angeles on Friday requesting that a judge declare that Simmons hadn’t caused Jackson to suffer any harm, according to Reuters.
Simmons’ lawyers say Jackson’s allegations are “implausible if not impossible” because of the restrictive nature of “The Demon” costume.
TMZ.com quotes Simmons’ lawyer explaining that the costume is like “a suit of armor, particularly around his groin area, making it impossible for Simmons to have done the kind of grinding that Jackson claims to have experienced.”
KISS is currently touring Europe. Tonight the hard rock band plays Switzerland followed by shows in Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, France, Spain, Netherlands and Belgium.
Simmons stars on the A&E reality show “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” along with his longtime partner Shannon Tweed and their two children.
Click here for the Reuters article.
Click here for the TMZ.com post.