Tailgunner bassist Thomas Hewson responds to abuse allegations in extensive open letter

Tailgunner bassist Thomas Hewson has published a 36-page open letter responding to the allegations of sexual abuse and repeated abusive behaviour made by guitarist Jara Solís. Hewson categorically denies the allegations and asks readers to consider what he describes as the complete chronology of their relationship and the contemporaneous communications included in his statement.

The letter follows the statement released by Solís in August, in which she described her account of events beginning in 2025 and challenged previous claims that the case had been resolved. At the time, The Riff Collective contacted Tailgunner and offered the band an opportunity to respond.

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Hewson has now provided his account, accompanied by screenshots of selected private conversations exchanged between March 2025 and March 2026. The Riff Collective has reviewed the full document but has chosen not to reproduce its intimate content. The personal and sexual details of a relationship are not, by themselves, matters of legitimate public interest.

Hewson presents an alternative chronology

Hewson disputes Solís’s description of how their relationship began and argues that their professional and personal involvement developed mutually. He acknowledges that both became intertwined but denies using his position within Tailgunner to obtain sexual access to her.

Much of his response focuses on communications which, he says, show that the romantic and sexual relationship continued for several months after the period in which Solís says the first alleged incident occurred. He also points to repeated visits, plans to spend further time together and her decision to join Tailgunner’s extended tour in early 2026.

Hewson argues that the account Solís wrote shortly after their first time together described problems involving boundaries, communication and emotional support, but did not characterise his behaviour as sexual abuse at that time. He says the later allegations therefore came as a shock to him.

He nevertheless acknowledges that communication surrounding sex should have been more extensive and accepts that he did not handle every aspect of the relationship well. He describes himself as emotionally inconsistent during part of that period and says some of his decisions caused hurt.

The screenshots provide context for Hewson’s account of an ongoing relationship. They do not, however, independently establish what occurred during any particular sexual encounter. Continued communication, affection or intimacy does not in itself determine whether consent was present on every occasion. Hewson himself acknowledges this limitation in his statement.

No legal finding supporting either account

Hewson also challenges the suggestion that the material submitted to the band conclusively established Solís’s account. He says he was asked to step away while information from both sides was considered and claims those reviewing it did not reach her conclusion. His letter does not identify an independent investigating body or provide details of a formal review process.

Hewson states that he has never been contacted, interviewed or questioned by police in either Spain or the UK. He further emphasises that there has been no criminal conviction or legal finding of sexual abuse against him.

As reported in our previous article, Solís said the Spanish case was archived because the authorities lacked jurisdiction over events alleged to have occurred in the UK. She subsequently travelled to Britain to make a police report but decided not to continue with the legal process because of the emotional and practical demands involved.

These positions are not necessarily contradictory: the absence of a conviction or police interview is not a finding of guilt, but neither does it constitute a legal exoneration. No court has examined the competing accounts or reached a judgment on the allegations.

Hewson concludes that he does not wish to continue a public dispute over their relationship and asks people to consider his account alongside the allegations already published.

The Riff Collective has now reported the statements presented by both parties. We will not turn an extremely serious and deeply personal matter into an ongoing public spectacle. Unless new independently verifiable information or a relevant official development emerges, both complete statements will remain available so readers can examine each account in its proper context.

Thomas Hewson’s complete 36-page statement is available to read here.

The Riff Collective