Chunkz, a former collaborator of Yung Filly, has broken his silence following the arrest of the rapper. Yung Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, appeared in court in Perth, Australia, last week where he faced charges including three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and four counts of sexual penetration without consent. Additionally, he was charged with one count of impeding another person’s breathing or circulation by applying pressure to the neck.
The 29-year-old online star is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her twenties in his hotel room after a performance at a venue in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth, Australia, on Saturday 28th September. Chunkz, whose real name is Amin Mohamed, has previously collaborated with Mr. Barrientos on songs like “Clean Up” in 2019 and “Hold” in 2020, which reached No. 29 on the UK singles chart. In response to followers seeking his reaction to the arrest, Chunkz shared a video on his Instagram Stories stating that due to the ongoing court case, he cannot comment publicly on the matter.
Born in Cali, Colombia, Mr. Barrientos moved to the UK as a child and developed an interest in the local grime scene in south-east London. He gained popularity in 2017 by releasing music online and amassing a large following on his YouTube channel with 1.4 million subscribers and approximately 120 million views since 2013.
During his court appearance in Perth on 10th October, Mr. Barrientos was granted bail under strict conditions and a personal undertaking of 100,000 Australian dollars (£52,000) alongside a surety of 100,000 Australian dollars (£52,000). The case is scheduled for a committal mention in the Perth Magistrates Court on 19th December at 9.30am.
The Government of Western Australia issued a press release stating that the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with information regarding the matter to come forward. It was also revealed that all planned future releases by Mr. Barrientos have been put on hold following his arrest, with Warner Records reportedly postponing any new music releases pending the outcome of the case.
For support related to rape and sexual abuse, Rape Crisis offers assistance in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, while Rainn provides support in the US. Yung Filly’s situation continues to unfold, impacting both his career and personal life.