Country Music Artist Charges Publicist With Sexual Abuse

Austin Cody

A former client of Kirt Webster, the celebrated publicist of Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels and Kenny Rogers, says Webster sexually assaulted him over the course of a year.

Webster is denying the allegations, saying he had a consensual relationship with the singer, according to Fox News.

Austin C. Rick, who performed under the name Austin Cody, said he suffered months of “terrible, terrible” abuse at the hands of Webster.

“He wanted for there to be fireworks in my career, but first there had to be fireworks between he and I,” Rick told Fox News of his former publicist.

Kirk Webster

“He sexually assaulted me repeatedly, he drugged and sexually violated me, he offered me publicity opportunities and magazine columns in exchange for sexual acts. He paid me to keep my mouth shut,” Rick wrote on his GoFundMe page and on Facebook. He is crowdfunding $15,000 for his legal fees.

The 30-year-old alleges Webster demanded he strip naked in order to prepare for a photo shoot with Playgirl magazine. Rick said Webster performed oral sex on him.

He added, “[If] I stopped going with the flow, he would make sure no one would ever hear my name.”

“As a single adult, Mr. Webster has had multiple relationships over the course of his professional life, all of which have been consensual. This includes a brief relationship with Mr. Rick. It saddens Mr. Webster that nine years later, after Mr. Rick’s music career has been stagnant, Mr. Rick has taken the opportunistic approach of mischaracterizing that relationship and posting untrue allegations.”