Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Dany Ciara, the former spouse of As I Lay Dying lead vocalist Tim Lambesis, has publicly presented multiple allegations of misconduct against him, as per theprp. These claims emerged during a recently disseminated interview on the BREWtally Speaking Podcast.
The escalating instability of the relationship between the divorced couple served as the primary catalyst. This dynamic precipitated a widespread departure of members from the musical ensemble As I Lay Dying in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This recent podcast installment, spanning approximately four hours, features Ciara detailing her formative experiences, initial encounters with Lambesis, and their marital union. She also delineates the contextual factors culminating in the widely publicized termination of their marriage.
The discourse further encompasses several striking allegations of wrongdoing. Notably, one incident had been previously referenced by Lambesis in a prior public declaration, where he asserted possession of visual evidence depicting Ciara pursuing him within their shared residence while armed with a bladed implement or cutting shears.
I do want to explain the context behind the biggest claim that he has against me, I guess, of me chasing him around the house with a knife. I will say I have pulled a knife on him more than once. There was this cycle of when things would escalate and I could feel it happening. like there were signs I knew when it was going to get physical.
And it started out with like Tim pinning me down, putting his body weight on top of me so I can’t breathe. I’d be screaming for help — which I do want to mention that we had several roommates, and a lot of them were men that Tim spent time with in prison. So I guess, I don’t know, they have some like bro code that no matter what like you don’t snitch… you always take his back. So they weren’t there to help me. Which I will, that’s another thing that I need to mention…’
So [Tim] would… if I didn’t agree to quit being angry with him about something or be in the mood that he wanted me to, it would escalate to the point where like, you know, he’d have one of his mental breakdowns and then he would pin me down. He would strangle me — which I have evidence of, him strangling me.
…I have evidence of this too where it’s one of these times where he’s doing this to me and I’m screaming at the top of my lungs. And by the way, this is one of his so-called witnesses that he keeps mentioning. He keeps mentioning in comments and stuff about all this online. He has like eight witnesses that witnessed me abusing him and not the other way around.
One of his witnesses, I’m in there in our room screaming at the top of my lungs for him to come help me get Tim off of me. And like bloody murder, like screaming at the top of my lungs so loud that the neighbors called the police and he didn’t come help me. And I texted him the next day and I said, ‘I can’t believe you wouldn’t come help when I’m screaming for you like that. I don’t know if you heard me. Neighbors heard me. I know you were here. I know you were home.’ And I’m sorry I’m all over the place.
She continued, stating this:
I just wanted to mention that that’s the credibility of the people that he has as witnesses for him of my abuse to him. And he, I even have a video of Tim assaulting me, and that guy that I’m talking about that was our roommate, turning his back and walking away. So he would protect Tim at all costs too.
It’s like this prison thing. I don’t know. But back to the story about the knife, I would feel it get to that point. I’d feel it coming. You know, there were obvious signs after so many times of it happening that like if there was a weapon by me, no matter what it was, I would pick it up and I would hold it out to him to keep distance between us because if I knew what would happen if he got close to me.
So, that’s the context behind the knife video. And I’m not ashamed of it. Like I’m not going to sit here and say sorry, if for someone, he’s literally 110 lbs heavier than me and fucking strangles me. And there was times where I thought he wasn’t going to let off of my throat. So like why would I let him get close to me? And then he says that I’m apparently charging towards him in this video, like coming at him with a knife, which I I don’t recall that happening. It could have, but if I’m walking towards him, like, I can honestly, honestly say the only time I ever pulled a knife out on him was to keep him away from me.
And I bet you anything that… if he were to show this video to people, which he has shown videos to people in the past without the audio, is because you can probably hear me saying in the in the audio like ‘stay the fuck away from me.’ You know what I mean? And I wanted to give context to that scenario, because I feel I have the right to defend myself against him and I don’t know why he doesn’t believe that I did, but I did.
During the podcast, Dany presented visual evidence of a textual exchange with a roommate. She also asserted that her relationship with Tim deteriorated consequent to a confluence of factors, notably recurrent purported infidelity. She further alleged his possession of AI-generated content deemed sexually explicit and disturbing. This assertion was supported by visual documentation of exchanges wherein she claimed to have confronted him regarding this material. She presented records purporting to document multiple law enforcement interventions at their shared residence, which she characterized as responses to domestic violence calls. Additionally, she recounted a specific alleged incident culminating in physical violence between the involved parties. According to her account, Tim was initially apprehended on suspicion of battery related to this occurrence. She presented visual evidence of purportedly sustained contusions from the incident, alongside digital communications wherein she claimed to have discussed the matter with Tim. Dany asserted that she subsequently drafted a correspondence to the District Attorney, seeking the dismissal of the prospective charge. She then provided a subsequent explanation of this action during the interview.
I was just freaking out because I didn’t realize they were going to arrest him and take him to jail. And like I said, this was pretty early on in the relationship. And in the aftermath of that, you know, he was freaking out because it could potentially, the DA could press charges against him even though I didn’t. And that would affect his career and being able to travel to other countries, I think, is what his concern was. And so obviously, like I said multiple times now, I would have done anything to protect him and lie for him.
So I ended up writing a letter to the DA saying that I lied to the police and it was all my fault and I was the crazy one. And I have texts as proof of what I’m saying to you. Like texts between me and him, and me and the roommate that were there, about how I’m going to lie… I’m going to lie about this and that and I’m going to do whatever I can to get you out of this and I’m sorry.
And I took on the guilt even though he was the one who had physically assaulted me. And since I wasn’t ready to leave the relationship… obviously I wanted to protect him, protect his career. And it was just that’s just another incident where though I was being abused by him, I did what I could to keep it a secret and keep him safe from facing consequences, especially legally when it came to any of that.
And now when he tells the story, obviously like it works in his favor of like, ‘I have the proof she was the crazy one. Look at the letter she wrote.’ I also have texts saying, like drafting up the lie and saying I’m going to. I even have this… this is how absolutely brainwashed and nuts I was. Like the way that I was thinking during this time.
I was so desperate to protect him and the relationship and this lie for some reason, that l was willing to go to the extent of getting myself arrested to look like a crazy person. So, it makes sense why I was the aggressor in that situation. And I have I have texts about all this between us, so you know what I’m saying is true. But that was just another example I wanted to give of like that kind of ties into the bigger picture.
Tim has since taken to his social media to respond to these accusations.
I stayed quiet about my personal life because it wasn’t relevant to the work. I’m only speaking now because the same pattern keeps repeating. Old stories resurface only when my life and career move forward again.
I’m not interested in drama or attention. The music either stands on its own or it doesn’t.
What is difficult to ignore is when someone you moved on from long ago suddenly becomes publicly fixated right when momentum returns. That kind of timing explains itself.
Context matters. Removing it is the easiest way to manufacture a narrative, especially when platforms are willing to host one-sided stories without accountability.
I was held accountable for my past over a decade ago. Since then, my life has been public, documented, and scrutinized. If anything illegal had happened in the years since, it would have been addressed through proper channels.
This isn’t even unique. The same sequence played out with another artist, Greg Overton, following a surge of visibility after appearing on the Joe Rogan podcast. Public commentary from a former relationship followed immediately. People noticed then, just as they notice now.
Some people build things. Others only appear when there’s something to attach themselves to. In the end, it’s the work that lasts, not the noise around it.
It’s over. Time to finally move on. I’m going back to making music. I have an album to finish before the next tour.
Upcoming As I Lay Dying shows:
03/03 Krasnodar, RUS – Krop Arena Krasnodar
03/04 Rostov-on-Don, RUS – Krop Arena Rostov
03/07 Kazan, RUS – Korston Club
03/08 Nizhny Novgorod, RUS – Milo Concert Hall
03/10 Samara, RUS – Metelica C
03/12 Ufa, RUS – Ogni Ufy
03/14 Chelyabinsk, RUS – MTS Live Hall
03/16 Novosibirsk, RUS – Ice Sports Palace Sibir
03/18 Irkutsk, RUS – Concert Hall
03/20 Vladivostok, RUS – Fetisov Arena
