Seal Denies Sexual Battery Allegations Amid Criminal Investigation

Popular pop/R&B singer Seal is being investigated by police for sexual battery, but he is “vehemently” denying the allegations against him.

Representatives for the star provided a statement to PEOPLE, saying that Seal “vehemently denies the recent allegations made against him by a former neighbor for alleged misconduct more than a year ago.”

“He intends to vigorously defend himself against these false allegations,” the statement also read.

The allegations against Seal come from 54-year-old Tracey Birdsall, an actress who claims that the singer forced himself on her while the two of them were in his kitchen.

She alleges that he tried to kiss her and also groped her chest, and later excused his behavior by telling her that her outfit of short-shorts and a tank top suggested she was asking for it.

The new claims against Seal come at a very interesting time, as just last week Chrissy Teigen made a very suggestive comment to the singer on an Instagram post he shared about Oprah and Harvey Weinstein.

Seal shared a meme that showed an infamous picture of Oprah giving Harvey Weinstein a kiss on the cheek, as well as a picture of the two of them with Rita Ora. It included a caption that read, “When you have been part of the problem for decades…but suddenly they all think you are the solution.”

“Oh I forgot, that’s right…..you’d heard the rumours but you had no idea he was actually serially assaulting young stary-eyed (sic) actresses who in turn had no idea what they were getting into. My bad,” Seal wrote in a comment before adding a hashtag for “Sanctimonious Hollywood.”

Seal’s picture and comment come from accusations that Weinstein used his relationship with Oprah to lure women in so he could sexually harass or assault them. She has claimed she had no idea what he was doing.

Teigen turned up in his comments seemingly suggesting that there could be rumors out their about the British crooner as well.

“Hmm. Let’s just say we’ve all heard things about each other, haven’t we,” Teigen wrote, which was well liked by fans on Instagram.

Now, less than a week later, the accusations against the singer have surfaced, so it’s certainly coincidental timing, to say the least.