Till Lindemann Lawyers Obtain Ban Against Newspaper Over Misconduct Allegation Reporting

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story listed the U.K. outlet The Mirror as the paper receiving the ban, when it was actually German outlet Der Spiegel. Der Spiegel translates into English as The Mirror.

Rammstein and in particular singer Till Lindemann have been in the news of late as sexual misconduct allegations levied against the singer have led to investigations, public backlash and the loss of of a book deal. But, as the singer continues to fight the allegations against him, his legal team has scored a bit of a victory in receiving a temporary ruling that will ban an article by German outlet Der Spiegel over their reporting of the allegations. It's claimed in the ruling that the minimum evidence needed in the report was lacking. In addition, Lindemann's legal team revealed their intent to pursue legal action against other media as well.

The concern over the singer's actions first came to light with a fan sharing her account of attending a pre-show party during a concert in Lithuania and explaining that she felt she had been drugged. After the story started to circulate, Rammstein issued a statement that read, "With regard to the allegations circulating on the internet about Vilnius, we can rule out the possibility that what is being claimed took place in our environment. We are not aware of any official investigations into this matter."

The following week, with more allegations coming to the surface, the German publishing house KiWi posted a statement announcing that they were severing their proposed book collaboration with Lindemann. By mid-June, it was announced that German prosecutors in Berlin had begun an investigation into the singer over alleged sexual assault and drug-related accusations.

Once again, Rammstein issued a statement that read as follows:

The publications of the last few days have caused irritation and questions among the public and especially among our fans. The allegations hit us all very hard and we take them extremely seriously.

We say to our fans: It is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows — in front of and behind the stage.

We condemn any kind of transgressions and ask you: do not engage in public prejudice of any kind against those who have made allegations. You have a right to your point of view.

But we, the band, also have a right — namely not to be prejudiced either.

On June 15, the band's label, Universal Music, announced that they would halt marketing and promotion of the group while the investigation was ongoing. "The accusations against Till Lindemann have shocked us and we have the greatest respect for the women who have spoken out so courageously in public in this case," said the label in a statement that also included their suspension of promotion.

READ MORE: Rammstein Drummer Issues Statement on Till Lindemann Allegations

As for the latest news in this case, Lindemann's lawyer's issued a press release (seen below) revealing that they had a far-reaching ban against Der Spiegel over their reporting on the Lindemann allegations.

"With a temporary ruling by the Hamburg Regional Court on July 14, 2023, Der Spiegel was now prohibited from raising the suspicion that Till Lindemann had drugged or had women drugged at concerts by the Rammstein group with the help of knockout trophies/drugs/alcohol in order to enable him to to be able to take action on the women," the statement explained (translated via Google Translate).

In the reason for the decision, according to the statement, the Hamburg Regional Court states that the minimum amount of evidence required to honor this serious suspicion is lacking. They add that none of the testimony given by witnesses or those who have provided statements gives rise to the suspicion that Lindemann had used knockout drops, alcohol or drugs to enable him to perform sexual acts on women.

They state that Der Spiegel had based their reporting on alleged conversations with a dozen women and claimed that the reporting on the topic of "Me Too" had gotten completely out of hand. They called out the paper for ignoring guidelines in reporting allegations, with one-sided statements being offered though the criminal investigation had not been initiated or was in the early stages. That, in turn, led to providing a prejudiced account, which they allege was a violation of the European Convention of Human Rights' (ECHR) presumption of innocence.

As stated previously, while the temporary ruling was filed against Der Spiegel over their article, Lindemann's lawyers stated their intent to pursue legal action against other media outlets as well over raised suspicions against their client.

The statement comes as two more women have come forward with allegations against Lindemann and Rammstein keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz. Per Süddeutsche Zeitung and NDR (as reported by DW.com) both are sharing accounts of sexual misconduct. You can read those accounts here. The band's recent show in Berlin drew protesters as well as a petition for the show to be canceled amid the ongoing investigation and allegations.