Anonymity protected.
A U.S. judge has blocked Royel Otis guitarist Royel Maddell’s attempt to unmask Reddit users.
The users had accused him of sexual misconduct with a minor in threads that have since been deleted.
The legal push followed controversy around the band’s single ‘Moody,’ which faced criticism for its lyrics.
The online backlash escalated into serious allegations against Maddell. Seeking names, emails, and phone numbers, his legal team aimed to pursue potential action, particularly against users in Australia.
However, District Judge William Alsup denied the request.
Notably, the court observed that Maddell’s application did not directly deny the core allegation of a sexual relationship with a minor, only contesting secondary claims about an ex-partner’s accusations or record label fallout.
The ruling underscores the legal protections for anonymous speech online, leaving Maddell to consider his next steps without the identities of his accusers.
