{"id":2065445,"date":"2026-07-28T09:22:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T06:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2065445"},"modified":"2026-07-28T09:22:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T06:22:44","slug":"modest-mouse-guitarist-simon-oconnor-responds-to-allegations-of-sending-inappropriate-messages-to-a-minor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2065445","title":{"rendered":"Modest Mouse guitarist Simon O\u2019Connor responds to allegations of sending inappropriate messages to a minor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Simon-OConnor-Modest-Mouse.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><span>Music News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Modest Mouse guitarist Simon O\u2019Connor responds to allegations of sending inappropriate messages to a minor<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The claims emerged on Reddit over the weekend<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Victoria Luxford<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-28T10:22:44+01:00\">28th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Simon-OConnor-Modest-Mouse-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Modest Mouse\" title=\"Simon O&apos;Connor Modest Mouse\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Simon O&#8217;Connor. CREDIT: Jim Bennett\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Modest Mouse guitarist Simon O\u2019Connor has responded to allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to a minor on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>The claims emerged over the weekend on Reddit, where screenshots suggest a fan who has liked his posts received a DM from the musician with a meme saying \u201cSIMON calls your bluff BUZZ\u201d, alongside a picture of people playing the game Simon Says. The second screenshot shows him seemingly sending a suggestive meme, before apologising, to which the fan replied that she assumed he had been hacked.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Connor is shown replying: \u201cWish I was hacked just had a party night and looking at everything with one eye ya know.\u201d She then wrote: \u201cohh boy get a good night of sleep.\u201d He replied, \u201cBut you did blindside me with a gaggle of likes and then very little intro besides bikini pics so we are both to blame.\u201d That message was unsent, followed by another that read, \u201cI did it again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The fan also showed a screenshot that showed he had viewed a post of a countdown to her 17th birthday. In the Reddit post that preceded the screenshots, the person wrote: \u201cFor context I am currently 17 years old but this happened right before my birthday, so I was still 16. I have a public Instagram but its very niche, I\u2019ve been following bands I like for a while so I have been following Simon for a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The post continued: \u201cLate at night I checked stories and I spam liked whatever it was Simon had put on his story. He came into my DMs and sent me an erotic image (to say the least) while giving me the excuse he had been partying or whatever, continuing to message me. My age is the first thing in my bio. I reached out to several people within the indie music fandom and nobody with a platform cared. I think more people should know about this. I\u2019m hesitant to put screenshots here but I do have them!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Simon O\u2019Connor responded to the allegations on the same platform, writing: \u201cThroughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me. This person creates multiple social media accounts and deletes them\u2026 but always posts similar photos that I often recognize from previous accounts. After a long night, I picked my phone up to discover that a similar profile had been interacting (\u201clikes\u201d to be specific) with some of my Instagram posts and stories. I assumed that this was the same person I had dealt with before and, with poor judgement, I decided to reach out with a tasteless meme, a sticker that read \u2018Simon calls your bluff,\u2019 and an attempt to indicate that I recognized the \u2018barrage of likes\u2019 and similar photo content from the previous profiles\u2026. Almost a \u2018gotcha.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued: \u201cAfter a few minutes, I realised that I had made a mistake and this was not the person who I had dealt with before. I unsent the messages and immediately ceased communication. I\u2019m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages. They didn\u2019t deserve to be put in that position, and I\u2019m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them. I know some people will choose not to believe me, and I understand that. I can\u2019t change what\u2019s happened. All I can do is tell the truth, take responsibility for my mistake, and apologise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Simon O\u2019Connor has been a member of Modest Mouse since 2021, contributing to the album \u2018An Eraser And A Maze\u2019 which was released in June.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Modest Mouse<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span 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td-fix-index\">\n<p>Modest Mouse guitarist Simon O\u2019Connor has responded to allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to a minor on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>The claims emerged over the weekend on Reddit, where screenshots suggest a fan who has liked his posts received a DM from the musician with a meme saying \u201cSIMON calls your bluff BUZZ\u201d, alongside a picture of people playing the game Simon Says. The second screenshot shows him seemingly sending a suggestive meme, before apologising, to which the fan replied that she assumed he had been hacked.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Connor is shown replying: \u201cWish I was hacked just had a party night and looking at everything with one eye ya know.\u201d She then wrote: \u201cohh boy get a good night of sleep.\u201d He replied, \u201cBut you did blindside me with a gaggle of likes and then very little intro besides bikini pics so we are both to blame.\u201d That message was unsent, followed by another that read, \u201cI did it again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The fan also showed a screenshot that showed he had viewed a post of a countdown to her 17th birthday. In the Reddit post that preceded the screenshots, the person wrote: \u201cFor context I am currently 17 years old but this happened right before my birthday, so I was still 16. I have a public Instagram but its very niche, I\u2019ve been following bands I like for a while so I have been following Simon for a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The post continued: \u201cLate at night I checked stories and I spam liked whatever it was Simon had put on his story. He came into my DMs and sent me an erotic image (to say the least) while giving me the excuse he had been partying or whatever, continuing to message me. My age is the first thing in my bio. I reached out to several people within the indie music fandom and nobody with a platform cared. I think more people should know about this. I\u2019m hesitant to put screenshots here but I do have them!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Simon O\u2019Connor responded to the allegations on the same platform, writing: \u201cThroughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me. This person creates multiple social media accounts and deletes them\u2026 but always posts similar photos that I often recognize from previous accounts. After a long night, I picked my phone up to discover that a similar profile had been interacting (\u201clikes\u201d to be specific) with some of my Instagram posts and stories. I assumed that this was the same person I had dealt with before and, with poor judgement, I decided to reach out with a tasteless meme, a sticker that read \u2018Simon calls your bluff,\u2019 and an attempt to indicate that I recognized the \u2018barrage of likes\u2019 and similar photo content from the previous profiles\u2026. Almost a \u2018gotcha.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued: \u201cAfter a few minutes, I realised that I had made a mistake and this was not the person who I had dealt with before. I unsent the messages and immediately ceased communication. I\u2019m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages. They didn\u2019t deserve to be put in that position, and I\u2019m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them. I know some people will choose not to believe me, and I understand that. I can\u2019t change what\u2019s happened. All I can do is tell the truth, take responsibility for my mistake, and apologise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Simon O\u2019Connor has been a member of Modest Mouse since 2021, contributing to the album \u2018An Eraser And A Maze\u2019 which was released in June.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/modest-mouse-guitarist-simon-oconnor-responds-to-allegations-of-sending-inappropriate-messages-to-a-minor-3959385&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Simon-OConnor-Modest-Mouse.jpg&#8221;] NewsMusic News Modest Mouse guitarist Simon O\u2019Connor responds to allegations of sending inappropriate messages to a minor The claims emerged on Reddit over the weekend By Victoria Luxford 28th July 2026 Simon O&#8217;Connor. CREDIT: Jim Bennett\/Getty Images Modest Mouse guitarist Simon O\u2019Connor has responded to allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2065445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2065445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2065445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2065445\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2065445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2065445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2065445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}