South African deathcore outfit Vulvodynia have officially parted ways with their recently appointed vocalist Zion Bittenbender. Bittenbender joined the band in the fall of last year, but days after his appointment, allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him resurfaced online. While Bittenbender denied the claims, he stepped down in November to address the allegations.
After a period of silence, Vulvodynia had also withdrawn from Defeated Sanity's spring North American tour, sparking speculation about further lineup instability. The band confirmed the separation in a statement issued March 3: "We would like to apologize for the delay in addressing this situation.
"We took time to step back and carefully consider the appropriate course of action. After serious internal discussion, we have decided to part ways with Zion. We will also no longer be participating in the upcoming US tour with Defeated Sanity.
"We take allegations of sexual misconduct extremely seriously. Our priority is maintaining an environment that reflects our values and respects our fans, peers, and the wider community. After careful consideration of the circumstances, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the band moving forward.
"We also acknowledge that aspects of how this was initially handled were not managed in the way they should have been, and we sincerely apologize. We will now begin the process of finding a new vocalist. Details regarding auditions will be shared soon. In the meantime, Lwandile will be handling vocal duties for our remaining shows this year.
"We appreciate the patience of our fans and remain committed to moving forward with focus and integrity."
Bittenbender had been slated to take over the role permanently after guitarist Lwandile Prusent temporarily filled in following the firing of previous vocalist Duncan Bentley in 2023, which came after a violent altercation with another band member.
