Sigur R贸s drummer Orri P谩ll D媒rason quits band amid rape claim

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Orri P谩ll D媒rason had been in Sigur R贸s since 1999

Drummer Orri P谩ll D媒rason has quit the Icelandic avant-rock band Sigur R贸s after a rape allegation.

Los Angeles artist Meagan Boyd made the allegation in a now-deleted Instagram post, claiming Mr D媒rason raped her twice when they shared a bed in 2013.

The band said in a Facebook post they had accepted his resignation to let him handle the "extremely serious" claims "privately".

The drummer has defended himself in a post on Facebook.

Thanking friends and family for their trust, "despite the serious public allegations against me", and stressed these "are not court proceedings, just Meagan's words against mine, on the internet".

"I cannot have these serious allegations influence the band and the important and beautiful work that has been done there for the last years."

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Rolling Stone magazine saw Ms Boyd's Instagram post before it was deleted.

According to the publication,

Ms Boyd says she did not report the alleged assault and kept it quiet for six years for many reasons.

"I felt no-one would believe me," the post reportedly said. "I felt I had been irresponsible for trusting him just because he was in a band I loved and I respected him as an artist."

Ms Boyd also reportedly said she was inspired to relate her allegations publicly due to the testimony of Prof Christine Blasey Ford against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Sigur R贸s formed in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, in 1994.

The group have released seven studio albums - the most recent, Kveikur, in 2013.

Mr D媒rason joined in 1999 after the band's drummer left following the recording of their second album, 脕g忙tis byrjun.