Man claims Rolling Stone founder Jann Webber raped him

A music writer claims the man who founded Rolling Stone magazine, Jann Wenner, sexually assaulted him in the early 1980s after a night of cocaine, alcohol and prostitutes. 

Jonathan Wells, 63, told Buzzfeed News he was obsessed with Rolling Stone growing up, and seized at the opportunity to get to know founder Wenner in the early 1980s when he moved to New York. 

He was 28 at the time, and said he met Wenner through mutual friends because he was looking to get into book publishing. 

‘His success , his influence, he was really fun,’ Wells told Buzzfeed. 

‘He was an exciting guy to be around.’ 

Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner is pictured in October at 'Rolling Stone Stories form the Edge'

Jonathan Wells, 63, claims the man who founded Rolling Stone magazine, Jann Wenner, sexually assaulted him in the early 1980s after a night of cocaine, alcohol and prostitutes

Wells was 28 at the time, and said he met Wenner through mutual friends because he was looking to get into book publishing. Wenner is pictured when he was 25 and had just started his Rolling Stone in 1970

Wells was 28 at the time, and said he met Wenner through mutual friends because he was looking to get into book publishing. Wenner is pictured when he was 25 and had just started his Rolling Stone in 1970

In 1983 Wells was invited to Wenner’s Upper East Side home along with several others. 

At the time he was working for his father’s limited-edition art print business, which he didn’t like, Wells told Buzzfeed. When Wenner picked up on his desire to get into publishing, he said he dangled ‘the idea of a job’ at Rolling Stone in front of him. 

That night, though, he didn’t expect to talk about his career, and said when he arrived they spent most of the night drinking vodka and doing lines of cocaine in Wenner’s ‘fabulous’ apartment. 

Eventually the party dwindled to just the two of them left in the study, and Wenner called a prostitute, who didn’t stay long. 

After she left the men were lying in the room, inebriated, when Wells claimed Wenner quickly got on top of him and pinned him under his body weight. 

‘I was lying back and he put himself on top of me,’ Wells told Buzzfeed. 

In 1983 Wells was invited to Wenner's Upper East Side home along with several others. Eventually the party dwindled to just the two of them left in the study, and Wenner called a prostitute, who didn't stay long

In 1983 Wells was invited to Wenner’s Upper East Side home along with several others. Eventually the party dwindled to just the two of them left in the study, and Wenner called a prostitute, who didn’t stay long

‘He was kissing me, but you know, normal stuff, kissing my chest. I remember him putting his penis in my mouth. I remember him sucking me, going down on me. I remember his hair on my stomach. 

At the time Wenner was described by an author as ‘unhealthy, bloated from alcohol and cocaine abuse,’ and Wells said he felt powerless under the publisher’s weight. 

When Wenner couldn’t get an erection, Wells claims he eventually fell asleep on top of him, at which point he managed to escape from under him and leave the apartment. 

‘I got my clothes and just tore out of there and ran home and showered,’ Wells told Buzzfeed. 

‘I was terrified he was going to catch me.’

Wenner denied the allegations in a statement to Buzzfeed, saying he was ‘completely surprised,’ that Wells would come out with this story.

‘We have remained friends for almost 35 years since then,’ Wenner said. 

‘I sincerely believed our friendship was totally mutual and consensual – absolutely and without question. I am saddened to hear this is his memory of that evening, because it is different htan mine.’ 

After she left the men were lying in the room, inebriated, when Wells claimed Wenner quickly got on top of him and pinned him under his body weight. At the time Wenner was unhealthy, and Wells said he felt powerless under his body weight as Wenner allegedly kissed him, went down on him, and put his penis in his mouth. Wenner is pictured April 7 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

After she left the men were lying in the room, inebriated, when Wells claimed Wenner quickly got on top of him and pinned him under his body weight. At the time Wenner was unhealthy, and Wells said he felt powerless under his body weight as Wenner allegedly kissed him, went down on him, and put his penis in his mouth. Wenner is pictured April 7 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Wells said that before the incident he had confided to Wenner that his father thought he was gay. Idolizing Wenner as much as he did, Wells said he thought maybe they both caught onto something that he didn’t. 

After that the pair had consensual sex twice more, Wells said. 

But Wells then realized that he wasn’t gay, and said he ‘was never attracted to a man in my life.’ 

He didn’t accuse Wenner of assault at the time because of his admiration for him, his confusion, and because he was then offered a job around May 1983. At the time of the incident Wells said he told five people – and all confirmed his story to Buzzfeed.

‘I never went into the office, never had an interview with anyone there – I certainly don’t recall one,’ Wells said. He wasn’t sure if someone held his new job before him or if it was created specifically for him – but regardless he was exciting, thinking this position would jumpstart his career. 

‘I knew when I started working there, there was always the question of a continuing sexual relationship,’ he told Buzzfeed, adding that he didn’t think Wenner was very interested in what he did. 

He said that for at least the first six months of working there Wenner would invite him out to dinners and ask him to hang out, saying ‘I knew what that meant.’  

Wells said he denied the advances, and eventually Wenner backed off. 

During his time with Rolling Stone Wells said he worked on multiple books about famous men and women in the music industry. But in 1985 he was unexpectedly fired and told Rolling Stone was rearranging ‘the Press’. 

‘I did not perceive it as retaliation at the time,’ he said. 

‘I don’t know if I was especially stupid or I just couldn’t understand the whole thing.’ 

He didn't accuse Wenner of assault at the time because of his admiration for him, his confusion, and because he was then offered a job around May 1983. At the time of the incident Wells said he told five people - and all confirmed his story to Buzzfeed. Wenner is pictured in 1985 

He didn’t accuse Wenner of assault at the time because of his admiration for him, his confusion, and because he was then offered a job around May 1983. At the time of the incident Wells said he told five people – and all confirmed his story to Buzzfeed. Wenner is pictured in 1985 

Wenner denied the allegations in a statement to Buzzfeed, saying he was 'completely surprised,' that Wells would come out with this story

Wenner is pictured in 1970, around when he started

 Wenner denied the allegations in a statement to Buzzfeed, saying he was ‘completely surprised,’ that Wells would come out with this story. He said the two have been friends for 35 years 

Regardless he was determined to not let this ruin his career, and sold a book idea about Liberace that he’d pitchedto Wenner to Harper & Row. 

Within weeks Wenner and Rolling Stone threatened to sue Wells, claiming he interfered with a contract. 

Wells was scared, and said his instinct was ‘to settle this as fast as I can.’ 

He offered a $30,000 settlement, and told the magazine’s lawyer that if they didn’t accept the settlemtn he’d go to the media with sexual assault allegations. 

After years of having trouble coming to terms with the fact that what allegedly happened to him was rape, Wells said he finally started to think of it that way in October when the national conversation turned to sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. Wenner is pictured in 1981

After years of having trouble coming to terms with the fact that what allegedly happened to him was rape, Wells said he finally started to think of it that way in October when the national conversation turned to sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. Wenner is pictured in 1981

‘As I remember it, within the hour I got a call saying it was accepted and was asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement,’ Wells told Buzzfeed. 

Wells’ lawyer said he doesn’t remember his client paying Wenner, but said Rolling Stone agreed not to go to court when Wells threatened to go to the press.    

He said he isn’t sure if Wenner didn’t want the story coming out because it wasn’t consensual, or because Wenner hadn’t come out as gay at the time. He came out in 1994.  

After years of having trouble coming to terms with the fact that what allegedly happened to him was rape, Wells said he finally started to think of it that way in October when the national conversation turned to sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. 

He said the last time he saw Wenner was in May 2016 when Wells visited his office to discuss a book project. He took notes after the meeting, and shared them with Buzzfeed.

Wells claims Wenner spoke about having a ‘good time’ at his apartment in 1983, and referred to the prostitute he called as a ‘facilitator.’ 

‘I remember pestering you a little,’ Wells said Wenner told him about his time working at Rolling Stone. 

‘But then I could tell you weren’t into it. Then we switched the Press around and you left.’  



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk