Internationally known British hip-hop DJ Tim Westwood has been accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct by seven women in incidents that stretch from 1992 to 2017.
Rumours had been circulating through the music industry for years, but no official accusations were ever made. However, in 2020, anonymous accusations began gathering momentum on Twitter about the 64-year-old’s behaviour. It was that moment that inspired these seven women to come forward. At the time, Westwood described the claims as “fabricated, false and without foundation”.
The women, all Black and all in their late teens or early 20s at the time of the incidents, are remaining anonymous but have all shared their stories with the Guardian and BBC. There is also a documentary on BBC Three about the story.
Three of the women have accused the Capital Xtra DJ of “opportunistic and predatory sexual behaviour” when he had agreed to meet them to discuss embarking on careers in the music industry. The other four have accused him of groping them at his live events and nightclub performances.
One victim, who uses the alias ‘Isabel’ in the Guardian’s investigation, describes how Westwood brought to his flat on the pretext of helping her pursue a career as a gospel singer, before exposing himself and coercing her into sex.
Another woman, using the alias ‘Tamara’, says she met Westwood when she was a 17-year-old singer in an R&B group. Westwood had shown interest in her career, but when he brought her to his flat he pulled down her trousers and underwear and began performing oral sex on her without her consent.
“There was no talking,” she says. “There was no kind of communication about that. It was just before I knew it, that’s what was happening.”
Those accusing Westwood of groping them describe how he would use photo opportunities to get physically close to them to grab them. One woman, who met him in Ayia Napa, says when she stood next to him for a photo, he said to her, “lemme grab some ass” and put his hand down the back of her shorts.
“As I was shocked, I froze and felt very intimidated,” she says. “He then started asking if I was interested in going back to where he was staying to ‘chill’, as I was stood, still mentally trying to process what just happened.” She says she turned down the offer.
Westwood has strenuously denied every single allegation in the Guardian and BBC’s investigation.
The BBC Three documentary, Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power airs tonight, April 26, at 9pm.
