Report: Pentagram’s Bobby Liebling Arrested for First-Degree Assault of a “Vulnerable Adult Family Member”
Earlier today, Pentagram announced that they’ll soon be touring Europe without renowned vocalist Bobby Liebling — their second set of shows as a trio, following four performances last month. The band’s statement on the matter was confusing to say the least; the group claimed that Liebling was in “a Maryland detention facility” and “now awaiting a preliminary hearing at which time it will be determined if a follow-up on any alleged charges are necessary,” but they didn’t specify what those alleged charges were.
An anonymous reader tip has now provided an answer to that mystery, and… well, it blows.
According to public records from the Maryland Judiciary (below), Liebling was arrested on April 10 for first-degree assault, one count of physical abuse of a “vulnerable adult,” and two counts of abuse against a “vulnerable adult” who is also a family member. All four charges are from the same date and were, presumably, against the same vulnerable family member.
So who was this vulnerable adult family member that Liebling allegedly assaulted? Troublingly, evidence suggests it was Diane Liebling — Bobby Liebling’s octogenarian mother (Spin.com said she was 81 in 2011, so depending on when her birthday is, she’s now either 86 or 87).
The revelation comes courtesy of two Facebook posts from Gary Isom (embeds at the bottom of this post; screen shots here and here). Isom was Pentagram’s drummer drummer briefly in the 90s and again from 2008 through 2010. On April 13 — just days after Liebling’s arrest — Isom wrote:
“Thoughts and prayers sent out to Mrs. Diane Liebling… I don’t care for Bobby but his mother is a super sweet lady.”
On April 27, Isom then posted this:
“What do you guys think about high-profile celebrities committing acts of domestic violence and getting away with it because there is a lot of money at stake and their careers could possibly somewhat ruined because of it? should they be treated differently? Should acts of domestic violence just be swept under the rug like it never happened further enabling the aggressor Or should they be exposed and properly delt with to the fullest extent of the law?”
It’s possible Isom is referring to someone besides Liebling and this is all just a coincidence… but it also seems highly unlikely.
This is not the first time that sixty-three-year-old Liebling has been accused of behaving like a total prick with regards to women. Last summer, Wax Idols and King Woman dropped off a tour with Pentagram early because Liebling allegedly made “absurdly gross, inappropriate comments to all of the women on the tour” and cracked jokes about rape from the stage.
Assuming even half of these allegations are true, the legacy of Liebling — and, unfortunately, Pentagram by extension — is totally fucked. And forget about having any kind of career moving forward. Who the hell is gonna pay to see a guy who beats his mother… especially given that the poor woman is pushing ninety? I could be wrong — we do live in the era of President Grab ‘Em by the Pussy, after all — but it feels like there’s really no coming back from this.
More as it develops. In the meantime, mourn the loss of Pentagram in the comments section below.
