Country singer Jimmie Allen revealed he contemplated suicide, following sexual assault allegations as a way to secure his family's financial future through his life insurance policy.
The allegations, which Allen vehemently denied, stemmed from a former manager – who remains anonymous – accusing him of rape and sexual assault. The claims resulted in a temporary suspension from his label.
At the time, Allen released a statement that read, “It is deeply troubling and hurtful that someone I counted as one of my closest friends, colleagues and confidants would make allegations that have no truth to them whatsoever.”
The country artist recently opened up about the allegations to Kathie Lee Gifford on his YouTube channel.
Referencing his “affair” with the manager, he told Gifford he was “searching for instant gratification from women,” and that once the allegations emerged, he realised that his family was his priority, “The first thing my brain goes to is not the career, it’s ‘How am I going to provide for my kids?'”
He continued, “It hit me. My life insurance covers suicide. I don’t feel that way now, but in that moment, when you feel like you have nothing in the midst of a society where it’s no longer innocent until proven guilty… [people think] she said this so it must be true.”
Later, he revealed that a text from a friend that read, “Ending it isn’t the answer,” convinced him not to make the decision.
The singer believed he had learned from the incident, saying, “It went from, ‘God, why is this happening to me?’ to ‘God, what am I supposed to learn?'”
“I went from hating her to a little bit kind of feeling bad for her, trying to understand what was going on in her life that she needed to do this. How did I not make myself available for a conversation about her feelings?”
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