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.”
Singer Melanie Martinez has been accused of sex assault by a former friend, who claims to have “repeatedly said no” to her sexual advances.

Timothy Heller, a Los Angeles-based aspiring singer, came forward with the allegations late Monday, sharing her story on Twitter about how she said Martinez, an artist who shot to stardom after appearing on NBC’s “The Voice,” sexually assaulted her.

“I have kept this secret for years, convincing myself that it wasn't a big deal and I wasn't hurt by it. The thought of accepting that my best friend raped me seems insane,” Heller began her post on Twitter that attracted more than 61,000 shares at the time of publication. “When faced with a friend who really needed help though, I can honestly say she let me down completely.”