Dustie Waring Officially Quits Between The Buried And Me
After more than a year of legal battles, uncertainty from fans, and controversy that seemed to follow him around following a spate of sexual assault allegations, embattled guitarist Dustie Waring confirmed that he and Between The Buried And Me have officially severed ties with one another.
In a post made on his official Twitter account, Waring released the following statement about his time with the band and how it was coming to an end:
“Time for an update. I’ve been off the road for a while now, which hasn’t been easy, since music has been my life for as long as I can remember. While I haven’t spoken publicly about my absence until now, I feel it’s time to address the questions about my involvement with the band.
“After 20 years of albums, tours, and great memories, BTBAM and I have officially parted ways. The delay in saying something wasn’t about avoidance, time and privacy were necessary, and I truly appreciate your patience and understanding.
“I want to thank the guys in BTBAM, all of the fans, our crew, and the many companies and collaborators who made the last two decades an experience beyond anything I could’ve imagined as a kid. Growing up with all of you, onstage and off, has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.
“Thank you to everyone who’s checked in or sent kind words during this time, your support has meant the world and made a real difference.
“I’ve been quietly working on lots of new music and I’m excited to share more with you soon. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.”
This whole thing stems from sexual assault allegations from 2023 that never truly went away. You may recall that Waring was accused of raping and impregnating a female fan. In a lengthy retelling of what happened, the female fan said Waring raped her in a bar bathroom five years prior after a show. In her statement, the woman said Waring allegedly coerced her to drink far beyond the point of where she “could barely stand up or string a sentence together.”
The next morning, though her recollections were fuzzy, she was able to piece together what had happened the night before through eyewitness accounts from her friends that were at the bar and the fact that she’d woken up with bruises on her hips and wrists, along with some vaginal pain.
She later got Waring to allegedly confirm her friends’ account of what happened via text message, urging her to “live a little” when he told her they’d had unprotected penetrative sex. She learned she was pregnant weeks later and determined to abort the pregnancy.
In the wake of that scandal, Waring was replaced by guitarist Tristan Auman for some time before he eventually rejoined the band on tour. Flash forward to the band’s The Colors Experience tour, however, and Waring was once again no longer in the lineup. That eventually led to Waring suing the rest of the band.
Waring’s statement today puts an end to his more than 20 year career with Between The Buried And Me. It’s unclear if he’s done pursuing any legal action against the band, so we’ll have to see if there’s any more movement on that front. As for his promise of new music, it’ll be interesting to see if he finds a foothold among fans that remember the allegations leveled against him.
