Lukas Wigflex has stepped down from co-organising the upcoming Peep Festival and cancelled all forthcoming performances after his former wife and business partner, Avarni, published allegations of abuse spanning more than a decade.
Allegations of Abuse
In a Substack newsletter published on 28 June, Avarni detailed claims of “psychological abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, physical abuse, intimidation and threats” during their relationship and marriage. She described being subjected to a “constant stream of criticisms, insults and carefully planted insecurities,” which she said were “compounded by years of substance abuse” and made the volatility “extreme and entirely uncontrollable.”
Avarni, who co-ran the Nottingham-based club night and festival with Wigflex, wrote that the business consumed her life. “I devoted a decade of my life to building a business that completely overpowered every other element of it,” she stated. She also alleged that after the relationship ended, she was diagnosed with PTSD and later CPTSD, and was left with thousands of pounds of debt and a county court judgment (CCJ) for rent arrears incurred by her ex-partner.
In a separate statement issued on 2 July, Avarni said writing the piece was “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made” and that psychological abuse often requires victims to “justify, explain and prove why what happened to them was harmful before they’re afforded the same compassion or understanding.”
Wigflex’s Response
Wigflex, real name Lukas Cole, addressed the allegations in a social media statement on 1 July. “I categorically refute any and all allegations of physical abuse in our relationship,” he wrote. He added that he was “truly embarrassed, disgusted and full of shame” about how his ex-partner felt, and announced he would be “hanging up the headphones” with all confirmed gigs cancelled.
“This is in order to create space for myself to reflect on my actions, and commit fully to therapy and counselling,” he stated.
Festival Withdrawals
Peep Festival, a new weekend event co-founded by Wigflex and Dr. Banana, confirmed that “Lukas will be stepping down from Peep with immediate effect” and will not perform at, profit from or be involved in the festival. Croatian festival Love International also removed Wigflex from its 9 July lineup via an Instagram story.
