A Nashville singer's new track, "Jane Doe," marks one of the first musical responses to the Cornell rape investigation.
MaRynn Taylor, a rising country music singer and songwriter from Michigan, released a snippet of her song on social media on Oct. 1.
In it, she addresses the woman whose story has made national news, called Jane Doe for privacy. A former Cornell student alleges seven former Cornell University Chi Phi fraternity members drugged and gang-raped her at their fraternity house in October 2024.
Alongside acoustic guitar, Taylor sings: "So you had a little more than a few / But isn't that just what you do / On a Friday night, last thing on your mind was better keep an eye on your drink... the truth would ruin their lives someday but / They
did the same though, you ain't to blame, no."
Taylor ends the track: "Did you hide your face? / All for them to just drag your name / Make you feel shameful / But you ain't to blame, we're one and the same, Jane Doe."
The allegations have resulted in a high-profile civil lawsuit, gaining widespread national attention following the unsealing of investigative records and the filing of a civil lawsuit against the men, the university, the fraternity, and her sorority.
Women across the nation are speaking out in solidarity.
"My heart has been heavy hearing the news about Cornell and so we wrote this today about Jane Doe and anyone else who has been Jane Doe. My heart goes out to her," Taylor wrote about her new song.
Taylor is the latest in a string of artists who have spoken up about the case.
Florence Pugh was among the first to speak out. "This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us," part of her statement on Instagram on Sept. 28 said. "How can you expect us to trust that it's 'not all men' when in moments like this many of you stay quiet?"
Mariska Hargitay, Josh Gad and Hudson Williams also called out the allegations and demanded accountability, part of what has become a national conversation about sexual violence, fraternity culture, and the institutions tasked with protecting students.
Cornell rape allegations and the ongoing investigation
Doe's lawsuit names seven then-fraternity members, Cornell University, the Chi Phi Fraternity and others. No fraternity members have been criminally charged. At least two have denied the allegations through attorneys. Across pop culture, the men are being referred to as the "Cornell Seven."
The case has rocked Cornell’s campus and fueled public questions about the campus police investigation, the university's Title IX investigation and the local district attorney's decisions. Many students and alumni are asking why the same alleged event produced no criminal charges in 2024, yet did eventually result in some university expulsions and suspensions.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has defended his decision not to charge any fraternity member in 2024, citing discrepancies between the lawsuit and the woman’s initial account, which he said characterized her drug use and sexual contact as voluntary.
After facing public criticism, Van Houten has reopened the criminal inquiry to consider any new evidence.
The allegations have struck a national nerve, fueling outrage online and highlighting both the persistent problem of college sexual assault and complications that can arise in prosecuting such cases.
For the woman at the center of the case, it marks a reckoning years in the making.
To read a full timeline of the case, click HERE.
Contributing: Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today
Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com. Follow her on Instagram at @audreyraegibbs.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Country singer's 'Jane Doe’ marks musical response to Cornell lawsuit
