Modest Mouse Guitarist Simon O’Connor Addresses Accusations of Messaging a Minor

Modest Mouse guitarist Simon O’Connor has responded to allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to a minor. Screenshots posted on Reddit over the weekend show an Instagram exchange in which O’Connor sent a sexually explicit meme and later referenced the recipient’s “bikini pics” after she interacted with his stories. The fan, who wrote that her age was listed in her bio, was 16 at the time.

In a Reddit post of his own, O’Connor acknowledged the contact but framed it as a case of mistaken identity. He said he had been drinking and believed the account belonged to someone who had harassed him for years by cycling through multiple profiles with similar photos. “I assumed that this was the same person I had dealt with before and, with poor judgement, I decided to reach out with a tasteless meme,” he wrote, describing the move as an attempt at a “gotcha.” He added that he realized the error within minutes and unsent at least one message.

The fan’s account offers a different view. She detailed on Reddit that O’Connor viewed her Instagram Story—which included a countdown to her 17th birthday—before messaging her. The screenshots show him dismissing the exchange as the result of a party night. The band has not commented publicly.