Mandy Moore Finds It 'Curious' That Ryan Adams Would Apologize Publicly Before Apologizing to Her

More than a year after a New York Times report described Ryan Adams’s treatment of Mandy Moore as “psychologically abusive,” alongside allegations of “manipulative behavior” and “emotional and verbal abuse” towards women and an underage girl, Adams has “apologized.” In a letter shared by the Daily Mail, he claims that this isn’t the “same empty bullshit apology,” because “this time it is different.” But Moore wants to know: If he’s “truly realized” what he put his alleged victims through, why hasn’t he apologized in private?

In an interview with the Today Show Monday morning, Moore claimed she hasn’t heard from Adams, which she said she finds “curious,” considering he wrote a long and meandering apology letter before reaching out to her first. “I’m not looking for an apology necessarily, but I do find it curious that someone would, sort of, do an interview about it,” she said, “without actually making amends privately.”

In his apology letter, Adams writes: “I’ve gotten past the point where I would be apologizing just for the sake of being let off the hook and I know full well that any apology from me probably won’t be accepted by those I’ve hurt.” Moving past how the apology reeks of performative self-flagellation, a quick refresher on the allegations are in order.

In February 2019, seven women—including indie darling Phoebe Bridgers—detailed their experiences with Adams in a report by the New York Times, accusing him of “a pattern of manipulative behavior in which [he] dangled career opportunities while simultaneously pursuing female artists for sex.” Among them was someone, identified in the report as “Ava,” who claimed Adams had pressured her to send him explicit photos when she was only 14. In the aftermath, his album was canceled, the FBI opened an investigation into Ava’s allegations, and he called the report “inaccurate” and laden with “outright false” information.