In May, fast-rising UK heavy metal band Tailgunner – mentored by ex-Judas Priest veteran K.K. Downing – faced unspecified allegations that led guitarist Rhea Thompson to leave the band and bassist Thomas Hewson to step back temporarily.
At the time, the band said they were “made aware of recent allegations made against him,” with Thompson saying that “due to moral and ethical concerns, I am no longer playing for Tailgunner”.
Now, it has been revealed that Hewson was accused of sexual abuse and repeated abusive behavior towards Jara Solís, a guitarist who was also the band’s photographer. Both Hewson and Solís have released lengthy public statements about the alleged abuse.
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According to Solís’ account, their initial contact began in March 2025. A short while later, she joined Tailgunner’s tour as their photographer, where the first alleged incident of sexual abuse took place, alongside “shouting, intimidation, and increasingly aggressive behaviour,” according to her statement.
She claims further incidents took place over the next couple of months. In early 2026, she joined Tailgunner as a stand-in guitarist for a two-month tour, a period she describes as overwhelming and during which she “would spend hours crying every day” and “increasingly suffered from panic attacks”.
Solís subsequently confided in others before sending the band a detailed statement, and alleges that the only band member who ultimately supported her was dismissed.
The guitarist claims she filed a police report in her native Spain. On May 14, 2026, the case was archived because Spanish authorities do not have jurisdiction over events that occurred in the UK.
She subsequently filed a formal statement with the British police but decided not to pursue legal proceedings further due to the financial and emotional repercussions involved.
Hewson denies the accusations and has now publicly shared what he describes as “the complete chronology” of their relationship.
The 36-page statement details key points in their relationship, in which he insists that while their professional and personal involvement developed mutually, he did not use his position in Tailgunner to obtain sexual access to Solís.
Hewson says that his hiatus was a period during which the information supplied to the band was assessed, although he does not specify who reviewed the details. Furthermore, he claims that he has never been “contacted, questioned or interviewed by police in Spain or the UK,” and has never “previously faced an allegation of sexual abuse”.
“It transforms a disputed account of one relationship into a public assertion that I represent an ongoing danger to women generally,” he writes.
“I fully reject that. Tailgunner has worked professionally with numerous women throughout its existence, including women who continue to work with the band today. Those people are aware of the allegations and do not accept Jara’s characterisation.”
Hewson is back on tour with Tailgunner. Meanwhile, Solís made her statement public last week and is actively performing with her band Hunger.
Tailgunner’s and Solís’ full statements are available via their social media accounts.
