The country singer, who split from his pregnant wife in April, filed two counterclaims on Thursday against women who sued him for sexual assault
Jimmie Allen and his pregnant wife Alexis are standing together months after filing for divorce.
The country singer – who filed two counterclaims against women on Thursday accusing him of assault and sexual abuse – tells PEOPLE that he and Alexis are working on their future as a team, despite announcing their separation in April.
“The divorce case is still ongoing as my wife and I work through the issues together as a family,” he says.
Allen, 38, also clarified a statement he made earlier on Thursday, in which he said he waited several months before publicly responding to the pair of lawsuits against him because he “wanted to fix my family first”.
“What I meant by ‘fixing my family first’ was making sure their mental health and stability is good in light of these hurtful false allegations,” he says. “I took time to be with my wife, kids and friends, to make sure everyone was okay.”
Related: Jimmie Allen Files Countersuit Against His Sexual Assault Accusers In A Attempt To ‘Protect’ Her "Reputation"
Neither Alexis nor his attorneys immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Allen and Alexis, 27, wed in June 2020 and are parents to daughters Zara James, 21 months, and Naomi Bettie, 3. They announced their separation on April 21, while sharing the news that they had another baby on the way.
The “Down Home” singer filed for divorce on April 28, and Alexis followed suit with her own filing two hours later, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE. The two cited irreconcilable differences. Allen has since filed a motion to consolidate the two filings into one case, though a June 1 hearing on the case has been postponed indefinitely.
Since their split, the two have remained friendly online, and in June, Alexis liked a since-deleted Instagram photo of Allen playing in a pool with their daughters.
Allen also issued a public apology to Alexis in May, writing on social media that he was sorry “for humiliating her with my affair. I’m embarrassed that my choices brought her shame. It’s something I she didn’t deserve it at all.”
News of the couple’s divorce proceedings broke the same day Allen was sued by his former manager for assault and sexual abuse. The woman, who filed an anonymous file, accused the star of raping her, groping her breasts, pushing his erect penis against her in public, masturbating in front of her in a hotel and d of shoving his fingers into her vagina in 2021 – all he refused.
Related: Jimmie Allen’s Pregnant Wife Reacts to Singer’s New Pic With Daughters
Weeks later, a second woman sued Allen for sexual assault, claiming he filmed their sex without consent and continued to have unprotected sex with her after she revoked his previously given consent. PEOPLE confirmed that she then filed a police report with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Allen – who was dropped by his record label, agency and former ad agency – denied all allegations against him and filed two counterclaims on Thursday accusing Jane Doe 1 of defamation and Jane Doe 2 of unlawfully stealing his phone portable.
“This situation caused me great humiliation and I felt it was necessary to call in a professional,” he said. “These false claims have caused me to lose a lot of business and endorsement opportunities that I have worked extremely hard for. These false claims have not only hurt me but also caused serious harm financial support to my group, my team and their families.
Related: Jimmie Allen Dropped by Record Label Following Second Sexual Assault Trial
Allen added that he was “looking forward to the opportunity to clear my name.” “My team and I can’t wait to put this behind us and get back to music,” he said.
Beth Fegan, an attorney representing the two accusers, told PEOPLE in a statement that Allen’s counterclaims are “what we expected – says all of his meetings with Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were consensual.”
“We look forward to showing the court ample evidence to the contrary, which we believe will prove that Jimmie Allen is a serial abuser and should be held accountable for his actions,” she said. “It is increasingly common for perpetrators to counter-suit their victims, alleging defamation. This is a worrying trend, designed to convince victims that if they speak out, they will be the target of bogus disputes.”
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