The application was filed by the band’s guitarist Royel Maddell, whose legal name is Leroy Bressington. It followed a now-deleted thread posted last year on Reddit’s r/triplej forum, linked to Australia’s youth radio network triple j.
Allegations and online backlash
In the Reddit thread, several users alleged that Bressington had a sexual relationship with a minor who was also his music student. The claims appeared around the same time the band faced online backlash over lyrics in their 2025 single Moody.
The song drew criticism for misogynistic language, particularly the line, “My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody.” After the reaction, Bressington and the band’s singer Otis Pavlovic released a statement saying the track was written from a specific point of view and was not meant to reflect their views about women in general. They apologised to anyone who felt offended.
The legal request
In October, Bressington asked the District Court of Northern California to order Reddit to hand over private user details, including names, email addresses and phone numbers. He said the information was needed so he could consider legal action for defamation.
According to court filings, Bressington planned to move forward only if the Reddit users were based in Australia. However, the documents did not clearly state that a lawsuit would definitely be filed, noting only that his lawyers were “prepared to initiate” proceedings.
Judge’s decision
On December 24, the court denied the subpoena request, a decision later reported by Rolling Stone Australia.
In his ruling, District Court Judge William Alsup noted that Bressington did not directly deny having a sexual relationship with a minor in his application. Instead, he denied other claims, such as being accused by an ex-partner, being charged by authorities, or the band being dropped by a record label.
Court documents stated that Bressington had not “specifically rejected as false” one of the central allegations raised online, adding that unresolved questions remained. While the court acknowledged it had the authority to assist, it said discretion was required given the circumstances.
What happens next
Bressington has not filed any formal complaint in Australia related to the allegations. For now, Reddit will not be required to identify the anonymous users, and no defamation case has been launched.
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