Petition Against Alleged Animal Cruelty
More than 70,000 individuals have signed a petition urging an investigation into the alleged animal cruelty by Tim Lambesis, the frontman of the band, As I Lay Dying.
Details of the Incident
The petition, organized by Care2, can be found here. This refers to a video released in January that reportedly shows Lambesis mistreating his dog while trying to force her to go outside.
The 30-second clip features two separate incidents, one appearing to show him kicking the dog and another in which he strikes the animal and threatens it with closed fists.
“Sign a petition to demand justice and intensive psychological treatment,” states the petition website. “The frontman of the group, As I Lay Dying, exhibited clear rage and disappointment, brutally abusing his poor, trembling, frightened dog. It’s evident that his violent tendencies did not diminish after his attempts to kill his wife.”
The video emerged alongside other clips of Lambesis engaging in heated arguments with his wife, Dani. One video shows her seated as he attempts to stop her from leaving, during which he inflicts physical violence, while another captures a dispute between the couple in their bedroom without audio.
These leaked videos followed a series of posts in November, where Lambesis accused his wife of domestic violence and alleged that she had orchestrated public attacks on him after he served her divorce papers.
“Currently, there is a restraining order and a family violence investigation filed against Dani Norris (formerly Lamb),” he wrote. “What she is saying is merely an attempt to deflect attention from her actions, which are affecting my own reactions to these interactions.”
Lambesis was previously sentenced to six years in prison for conspiracy to murder his ex-wife back in 2014. He pleaded guilty to hiring a hitman for $1,000 (approximately £630) to kill his then-wife, Meggan Lambesis. Following his release in December 2016, Lambesis issued an apology on the official Facebook page of his band.
In 2018, the vocalist reunited with As I Lay Dying, which released its first new song in six years, “My Own Grave,” and announced a return to touring this summer. In 2020, long-time guitarist Nick Hipa departed the group, followed by drummer Jordan Mancino and bassist Josh Gilbert in 2022.
Bassist Ryan Neff, guitarist Ken Susi, and drummer Nick Pierce, who joined the band in 2022, also announced their departures in October last year, citing “personal morality” as the reason. This was followed by guitarist Phil Sgrosso’s exit, leaving Lambesis as the only remaining member. Sgrosso stated that the band no longer provided a “healthy or safe environment” for its members, causing him to step away.
In November of last year, Lambesis’s side project, Austrian Death Machine, lost drummer Brandon Short, who announced his departure on Instagram. “For the sake of my mental well-being and personal beliefs, this has become an unreasonable situation for me,” he wrote.
A brief follow-up revealed: “The repeated promises and endless cycle of ‘I will do better’ used to give me hope, but they have become a broken record without real changes. I found myself trapped in a situation that has undermined my trust and well-being, impacting my mental health in ways I can no longer ignore.”
To receive help, support, and counseling regarding domestic violence, visit Shelter here or call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline at 0808 2000 247.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/tens-of-thousands-sign-petition-for-as-i-lay-dyings-tim-lambesis-to-be-investigated-for-animal-cruelty-3853733?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tens-of-thousands-sign-petition-for-as-i-lay-dyings-tim-lambesis-to-be-investigated-for-animal-cruelty
