Drummer Claes Antonsen, known from The Antonelli Orchestra, has publicly apologized for his past inappropriate and sexist behavior in the music industry. This announcement comes in the wake of the DR documentary “Sexism in the Music Industry,” where a number of women share their experiences of offensive behavior within the music industry.
In a Facebook post, Antonsen writes that he now understands the pain his behavior has caused. “I have far too late understood how unhappy the women became, and that my language and behavior also made the women feel like they lost their artistic professionalism and were only judged on their appearance,” Antonsen writes.
He expresses deep regret for using expressions and phrases that have been both boundary-crossing and sexist for many years. In the mentioned documentary, Claes Antonsen is anonymized and referred to as “band member” when singers Katinka Bjerregaard and Mathilde Falch share their uncomfortable experiences during the production of the TV 2 program “Toppen af poppen.”
With this apology, Antonsen wants to take responsibility for his actions and acknowledges the negative impact they have had on the affected women.