Travis Barker Slams Musician’s ‘Predatory Behavior’ For Messaging His Daughter, 13
Aug. 1 2019, Published 8:08 p.m. ET
Blink-182 rocker Travis Barker went after Echosmith’s Graham Sierota after the 20-year-old drummer sent a series of Instagram messages to Barker’s 13-year-old daughter.
Alabama — Barker’s daughter with his ex, Shanna Moakler — recently posted on her Instagram account the screenshots of messages the indie-pop band star allegedly had sent her.
The Blast reported that the multiple messages from Sierota, which mostly contained just one word, “Hi,” were sent to Alabama in 2016, when she was only 10.
Another read: “By the way I’m Graham from Echosmith and I think ur beautiful.”
Alabama never responded to those messages.
Then, weeks ago, on July 12, Sierota sent the now-13-year-old Alabama an invite to a BBQ at his home.
She responded: “Ur like 40.”
"I just wanted to say i really like ur music and sorry for messaging and I'm 20,” the musician answered back.
Alabama then wrote: "Ok but u understand I'm a child?”
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When Alabama posted the screen grabs of the exchange on her Instagram, she tagged Sierota’s group Echosmith and wrote: “Hey guys! So once again I am bringing this to your attention because I’m a 13 year old girl and he is 21/20 super creepy.”
Now, Alabama's father is on the warpath against Sierota.
“When I found out a 20 year old man was trying to get in touch with my 13 year old daughter by filling her Instagram messages with party invites and compliments I was disgusted,” Barker, 43, said in a statement to The Blast. “That’s predatory behavior and there is nothing cool, normal or ok about it at all.”
Now “Cool Kids” musician Sierota is attempting to explain what happened.
“I had invited Alabama to my parents’ big family BBQ along with many other people, and it wasn’t until she responded that I realized her age at which point I apologized to her,” Sierota insisted in a statement.
“I’m really sorry and feel very badly about this. I didn’t realize she was a minor and assumed she was my age,” he continued. “I made a careless mistake and this is a big lesson for me. I would like to apologize again to Alabama, her dad Travis, and her family.”