The following mentions sex trafficking and sexual activity involving a minor.
Pitchfork magazine reports musician and comic book writer Max Bemis has been accused of sending inappropriate messages to teenage girls. The allegations surfaced after purported screenshots were posted to the subreddit for his band Say Anything. The report was published after Say Anything announced on Instagram (on August 29) that Bemis had canceled a series of upcoming performances because of “the need to prioritize his mental health and personal well-being.”
StereoGum adds one of the people who posted the screenshots described herself as being a 17-year old sex trafficking victim. She claims Bemis began communicating with her in March, after she gave birth to a child, called her a “MILF,” discussed sex toys, and writing a poem about masturbation. She also says he asked for advice about helping another teenage trafficking victim, and that “Max knows that I seek out inappropriate relationships with older males.”
Wavves, a band who were set to collaborate with Say Anything on the upcoming collaborative album Cherry Soda, subsequently announced they would rerecord the project as a solo release. Frontman Nathan Williams posted on the band’s social media, “Yeah I’ve seen it. Not sure what to say but fuck Max. Fuck Say Anything. I’m sorry y’all. I spent 11 months making this record and Max spent 4 days so I dunno exactly what I’m supposed to do. I’m sorry guys.”
At the time of writing, Bemis has not responded directly to the allegations. The 42-year old singer and writer co-founded Say Anything in 2000, and has scripted multiple comics for Marvel, BOOM! Studios, Vault, and more, including Moon Knight, X-Men: Worst X-Man Ever, Crossed: Badlands, Lucy Dreaming, Black Terror, Heavy, and DC’s 2022 holiday special Grifter Got Run Over by a Reindeer.
Bemis is married to fellow musician Sherri DuPree, whom he separated from in 2025; the couple have five children. Back in 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, he posted a series of tweets sharing his decision to retire the song “Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too,” which is about phone sex with someone “young” enough to send him to “electric chairs”. He stated, “It may speak partially of my flaws, but it’s mostly a sarcastic caricature of someone I’ve never been at all, and is no longer appropriate during this crisis.”
If you have been affected by this story, please contact RAINN at their website, or the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-800-656-4673. Remember, you are not alone.
