Win Butler, the frontman of the Grammy-winning rock band Arcade Fire, has been accused of sexual assault by four individuals.

Three of the allegations are women who allege they were “devoted” fans of the band between 2016 and 2020, when they were 18 to 23, and Butler was 36 to 39. A fourth accuser, who identifies as gender-fluid, claims Butler sexually assaulted them twice in 2015, when they were 21 and he was 34, according to Pitchfork.

On Tuesday, Arcade Fire started their world tour in Dublin.

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Who is Win Butler?

Edwin Farnham Butler III is an American-Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist who was born on April 14, 1980. He and his wife, Régine Chassagne, are co-founders of the Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire.

Butler was raised with a Mormon upbringing in The Woodlands, Texas, after being born in Truckee, California. Before his brother Will was born, he lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Butler’s maternal grandfather was jazz steel guitarist Alvino Rey, a trailblazing bandleader with an eight-decade career. Luise, his maternal grandmother, was a member of The King Sisters, who appeared on ABC’s The King Family Show, a weekly variety show. Liza Rey, who also appears on the family TV show, plays jazz harp and sings. Edwin Farnham Butler II, his father, worked as a geologist for the oil firm Halliburton in Houston, Texas. 

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Butler travelled to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2000 to attend McGill University, where he met his future wife, Régine Chassagne. Butler earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from McGill in 2004.

Butler and Chassagne took part in the 2005 UNICEF benefit effort, Do They Know It’s Halloween? They also worked together on the music for Richard Kelly’s film The Box.

LCD Soundsystem performed their final show before disbanding on April 2, 2011. Arcade Fire joined them on the song North American Scum. Butler yelled “shut up and play the hits!” at James Murphy’s stuttering introduction to the song. “Ladies and gentlemen, for our live record entitled ‘Shut Up and Play the Hits,'” Murphy reacted quickly. Butler’s cry was eventually used as the title of a well-received concert documentary.

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Butler took part in the Rock The Court charity basketball event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in September 2011. Other celebrities and athletes who took part included Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs.

Butler, who performs under the stage moniker Windows 98, also works as a DJ, mixing songs and effects for huge events and occasionally as the opening act for Arcade Fire.

Butler and Chassagne attended the inauguration of the music streaming service Tidal in March 2015 and revealed that they, along with other renowned artists, were shareholders in the company.

Butler is married to Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne, who gave birth to the couple’s only child named Edwin Farnham Butler IV, on April 21, 2013.

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Butler was naturalised as a Canadian citizen on July 9, 2019, at a ceremony organised by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada Minister Ahmed Hussen in Montreal.

Butler, who stands 6’4″, is a regular participant in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and in 2016 he was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

Butler was accused of sexual assault by multiple individuals in August 2022.