Olivia Rodrigo has added her voice to the many calling for action against the seven Cornell fraternity brothers who allegedly drugged and gang raped a young woman in 2024.
In a Sunday (Oct. 4) post on her Instagram Story, the pop star began by stating, “Shame on Cornell and on every institution who protects rapists and abusers over women.”
“I stand with Jane Doe,” Rodrigo continued. “Her bravery reverberates across the country and the crimes against her will not go unpunished. What she lived through matters, and so does the failure of those who could have intervened but chose not to. She deserves answers, consequences, and lasting change.”
Billboard has reached out to Cornell for comment.
The Grammy winner’s message comes in response to the lawsuit a plaintiff known only as Jane Doe filed in September against the Ivy League school and seven Chi Phi members. It alleges that the former frat brothers gave her drugs such as ketamine and alcohol before repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping her two years ago in October, as well as allegedly encouraging other Chi Phi members to join in on the assault of the then-20-year-old plaintiff via a Snapchat group thread.
All of the men have denied wrongdoing, insisting that the sexual acts that took place on the night in question were consensual or misrepresented in the suit. Jane Doe also alleges that Cornell mishandled its response to her claims when she first brought them to the university in 2024, with The New York Times reporting that disciplinary measures included the expulsion of two of the fraternity members and the barring of one who’d already graduated from campus.
Two others were suspended from Cornell, while the remaining Chi Phi defendants were reportedly given lighter punishments. However, the school disputes that any of the men were “offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement,” clarifying one of the more controversial claims included in Jane Doe’s complaint.
“Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” Kyle Kimball, vp of university relations, continued in a Sept. 28 statement, emphasizing that the Cornell chapter of Chi Phi has remained barred from campus since the conclusion of the school’s initial monthslong Title IX investigation in 2024, which did not result in local prosecutors pressing criminal charges. “A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.”
On Oct. 3, Cornell president Michael I. Kotlikoff acknowledged that the school “must do better” in a video message to students. He also stated that the school would participate in an independent investigation into how it handled Jane Doe’s allegations, as well as welcomed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent appointment of New York State Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the newly opened criminal investigation of the alleged gang rape.
Rodrigo has long been outspoken about women’s issues, having raised millions for abortion funds on her Guts World Tour and championing several charities fighting against attacks on women’s healthcare and domestic violence with her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival in August. She’s not the only star who’s spoken about the Cornell suit, with Lzzy Hale and Florence Pugh also making statements in recent weeks.
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) — which is available 24/7, 365 days — or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website.
