Abuse Allegations Force Bilmuri Touring Guitarist Reese Maslen to Step Down
In what may be the final take down of a musician in 2025 (there’s still time, though), Bilmuri touring guitarist Reese Maslen publicly announced his departure from the band after a former romantic partner alleged some seriously shitty and abusive behavior online. The accusations include alleged emotional manipulation, racist behavior, misogyny, and other instances of being a shitty human being to a supposed loved one.
Maslen’s public exit from Bilmuri came after the allegations became public and began circulating on social media platforms. In his statement, he said he would take this time away from music to reflect and “work on myself.”
“I exhibited behavior on several fronts during a previous relationship that I deeply regret. I am so sorry not only to her, but to anyone else these behaviors have affected. At this point, I can only apologize and take the steps to be a better person for myself and everyone else in my life.
“Effective immediately, I am stepping down from Bilmuri. I loved every second of my time with them, but it’s important that I take this time to work on myself.”
This all came from a rather lengthy public statement from Maslen’s ex, who said she felt it was time to come out with her experience after what she said were “months of deliberation.” Ultimately, she said it was more important to share her experience than let someone else fall prey to the same abuse.
“You hide behind the persona of an immature ‘funny guy,’ making edgy jokes and feigning ignorance of the true meaning and impact of the words you use… You have attended just enough therapy to weaponize its language to your advantage.”
As a Japanese woman, Maslen’s ex said she regularly was the butt of racist jokes and regularly had her ethnicity fetishized in a way that she said felt offensive and demeaning in nature.
“Your infatuation with Japan and Asia has bordered on fetishization… Countless times you have made jokes at the expense of my ethnicity while touting casual racism.”
The shitty jokes didn’t stop there, either, as he would allegedly threaten suicide as a “joke” in certain scenarios. And when she’d call him out on his immaturity, Maslen would allegedly become aggressive.
“You have threatened to off yourself under the guise of a joke if I didn’t reply quick enough… You would name-call me and raise your voice at me when I questioned you and stood up for myself.”
Perhaps the most damning allegation from Maslen’s ex was the his alleged response to a miscarriage she experienced while they were together. Rather than being a supportive partner, his alleged behavior is nothing short of callous.
“The way you treated me during my miscarriage was abhorrent. You hung up on me during a crisis, called me an attention seeker, and said our baby was ‘gross,’ insisting that wanting to give them a proper burial was not ‘normal.’”
She ultimately concluded her allegations by clarifying that they had nothing to do with the rest of Bilmuri and that they were solely the result of her relationship with Maslen.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, intimate partner violence, or relationship abuse, know that there are resources out there to get help. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a confidential 24/7 service here in the U.S. by calling 1-800=799-SAFE (7233), texting START to 88788, or starting an online chat at TheHotline.org.
