Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall has issued an emotional apology to fans after band associate Jed Gordon pleaded guilty to a sex offense with a minor, as reported on Instagram.
The statement focused on supporting the victim and condemning the actions while acknowledging the band’s responsibility in the situation.
“No. 1, we support the victim. We support the victim 100 percent. She deserves justice. She deserves her space. She deserves her time. She deserves to be heard. We 100 percent support that after 20 years of trauma. I cannot imagine what that is like to bear,” McCall said.
The singer went on to strongly condemn the associate’s actions and clarify the band’s position.
“No. 2. We condemn this. We condemn this without hesitation. If there was anything in our initial response that left people wondering anything about that. I want to make this crystal clear for everyone — this is f*cked. This is fucked and this is Jed’s reckoning to answer for. It’s his reckoning and he will answer for it,” he continued.
McCall acknowledged the band’s responsibility as employers. He apologized to anyone who had negative interactions with Gordon.
“We employed him for a long time. We put him in a position where he had contact with a lot of people. It’s our moral responsibility to carry. We see it and we hold it. We always try to see the best in people and sometimes that means you’re blind to the worst. Anyone who’s had bad interactions with Jed while [he was] employed with us, we’re so sorry,” he said.
The frontman explained that the band was unaware of the full extent of Gordon’s behavior. He revealed they learned about the charges through online documents.
“We knew he could be bad with people and our reaction, there’s no excuse for that. I apologize, but we did not know the extent of his behavior. We did not know. We’ve been completely blindsided by this. The band found out about this through screenshots of court dates and documents that were already online circulating. We’re still finding out new information from a Sydney Morning Herald article we were apart of yesterday,” McCall stated.
He concluded by addressing criticism of the band’s initial response. He emphasized their commitment to taking the situation seriously.
“If our initial response came across as cold, I want to say that was never our intent. We take this situation really, really seriously. We also recognize our position, in this band, we’re a really big band. We also have a connection, a family connection. We did not want to do anything to jeopardize the justice system. We did not want to impede that, but we can definitely understand if people felt there was a coldness to our communication. If we hurt someone, we’re sorry for that. This is us putting the human connection to it,” he said.
The case has drawn significant attention following the formal legal proceedings that concluded earlier this week.
Loudwire reported that Jed Daniel Gordon pleaded guilty on March 16, 2026, to a sexual offense involving a minor. The court records reveal that Gordon admitted to sexual intercourse with a person aged 14 to 16 years old.
Gordon worked as a merchandise associate for the Australian metalcore band. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 19, 2026. The band had initially issued a brief statement on social media condemning the actions before McCall’s more detailed apology.
In their original statement, Parkway Drive wrote: “This is appalling and we condemn it. We’re gutted and we support the victim.” The band also clarified that Gordon is “no longer involved with Parkway Drive in any capacity.”
The incident has highlighted the challenges bands face when associates are involved in criminal activities, particularly regarding their responsibility to fans and the broader community. McCall’s extended apology represents a more comprehensive response to the situation. It addresses both the victim’s needs and the band’s role in the matter.
