Melanie Martinez, Accused of Sexual Assault by Ex-Friend, Responds: ‘She Never Said No’

Singer Melanie Martinez, who rose to fame competing on season three of NBC’s “The Voice,” has been accused by a former friend of sexual assault. The alleged incident was detailed by Timothy Heller, herself an aspiring musician, who, in a four-part tweet, recounted a night during which she “repeatedly said no” to Martinez’s sexual advances. Heller accuses Martinez of forceful penetration with a sex toy, among other acts.The Los Angeles-based Heller posted the tweet just before 3 p.m. local time. Within eight hours, it was retweeted more than 50,000 times.Martinez and Heller appear to have a friendship that dates back to 2015, judging by images on social media platforms.At 11:30 p.m. Martinez posted a response on her own Twitter, writing, “I am horrified and saddened by the statements and story told by Timothy Heller. What she and I shared was a close friendship … We tried to help each other. We both had pain in dealing with our individual demons… She never said no to what we chose to do together. And although we parted ways, I am sending her love and light always.”