British rapper Slowthai has broken down in court after being cleared of raping a woman at a house party following one of his shows three years ago.
The Grammy-nominated rapper, real name Tyron Frampton was charged with three joint counts of rape after he and his co-defendant, Alex Blake-Walker, were accused of assaulting two women at the afterparty in September 2021, per BBC News.
The prosecution had alleged Blake-Walker raped one woman while Slowthai encouraged him. Slowthai then allegedly raped another woman twice. The women had alleged they were assaulted on an outside roof.
On Monday (December 16), after more than 10 hours of deliberation, a jury at Oxford Crown Court found Slowthai not guilty on three joint counts of rape. Blake-Walker was also cleared on all counts following a two-week trial.
An overjoyed Slowthai reportedly burst into tears of joy as jurors delivered their verdicts. Crying was also heard from the public gallery where the rapper’s wife, singer Anne-Marie, watched the proceedings.
The court heard Slowthai performed a gig at The Bullingdon music venue in Oxford on September 7, 2021, where he met a group of women who invited him to a party at one of their homes. The prosecution argued the alleged assaults took place at this party.
Slowthai admitted to engaging in sexual activity with one of the women but insisted it had been consensual.
“I know she was consenting,” he said, giving testimony during the trial. “There wasn’t a question.”
After being charged in 2023, Slowthai was axed from the Glastonbury Festival lineup. Cancellations also followed from Reading and Leeds Festivals amid the allegations.