Maroon 5's Adam Levine reportedly mused that "no hot chicks" listen to metal in a direct message between him and a woman who is not his wife, according to a screenshot obtained by TMZ.
But the pop-rock singer and former The Voice star subsequently denied cheating on his spouse of eight years, the fashion model Behati Prinsloo.
Levine's denial arrived this week after apparent DMs between him and other women surfaced online, per Gawker. The screenshots illustrated flirtatious conversation with the singer. The "no hot chicks" remark reportedly came in a DM with a woman named Alyson Rosef. Two other accusers exposed similarly flirty DMs they allegedly had with the Maroon 5 leader.
In the exchange between Rosef and the singer, as is shown in the screenshot, the woman at one point told Levine she only listens to metal. The singer's apparent response suggested he believes that conventionally attractive women don't listen to the genre.
"I'm so weird too and only listen to metal lol," Rosef said. (See the screenshot below.)
"Said no hot chicks ever other than you," Levine's official account seemingly replied.
Levine has openly criticized guitar-based music before. Last year, he disparaged the state of rock in an interview, claiming "there aren't any bands anymore." Three years earlier, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor called Levine a "schmuck" for dissing rock in another interview. Maroon 5 began as ska-influenced alt-rockers before breaking big in pop.
On Tuesday (Sept. 20), Levine addressed cheating accusations in an Instagram Story.
"A lot is being said about me right now and I want to clear the air," the singer wrote, according to EW.
"I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner," he continued. "I did not have an affair; nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period in my life."
The Maroon 5 singer added, "In certain instances it became inappropriate; I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family."
