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Chad Smith and Heather Nemat.
A member of Michigan’s electronic dance music scene has severed ties with a DJ and events company president following allegations that he brutally beat his girlfriend.
The Oakland County Jail confirmed that Chad Smith, also known as “DJ Attack” and president of the music company Ignite Events, was taken into custody Sunday on a domestic violence charge and released Monday.
Heather Nemat took her allegations public on social media, posting photos of herself with chipped teeth and bruises to her Instagram story.
“My face is swollen,” she wrote, “my teeth are broken. Both of my arms are bruised from the shoulders down. My fingernails are still bleeding from where they came off.”
Thankfully I am alive.
Thankfully I am safe.
No concussion.
You will learn to heal not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.”
In another post, she wrote, “Why did he have to slam my face into the ground over and over until my teeth broke?”
She added: “Anyone who is on his side is my enemy so FUCK you 🫶.”
Following the news, Ignyte Events announced that Smith had resigned from his position.
“We understand your concerns regarding the recent events surrounding Chad Attack,” Ignite Events said in a statement posted to Facebook. “As a precautionary measure, and in keeping with all domestic violence investigations, regardless of the circumstances, Chad will be voluntarily stepping away from our team while the situation is resolved and the investigation is pending. This is the same standard we expect from all of our artists.”
The statement continued: “We remain committed to the safety and wellbeing of our community. A personal statement from Chad will be available soon. We thank everyone for their patience, understanding and support. This scene means the world to us.”
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Oakland County Jail
Chad Smith’s mugshot.
A Michigan music venue also announced it would no longer do business with Ignyte Events.
“Crofut is suspending our affiliation with Chad Smith and Ignite Events effective immediately,” Crofut said in an Instagram post. “We firmly stand against violence in all forms and want to reaffirm our commitment to creating a safe, fun and supportive environment for our fans and the community we serve. Our values are deeply rooted in respect, integrity and compassion for one another, which is why we are taking this necessary step.”
The event also featured HAVEN, a Pontiac-based organization that provides support to victims of domestic violence.
Intersection of Grand Rapids also announced it was severing ties with Smith.
“Intersection is aware of the allegations against Chad Smith and does not take them lightly,” the venue wrote to X. “Effective immediately, we will suspend all business with Ignite Events until more information is available.”
Additionally, a number of EDM artists have announced that they will not be performing at Ignyte’s previously scheduled events.
Ray Volpe, a Los Angeles resident, said he withdrew from attending a planned Ignite event after learning of the allegations.
“It was announced today that I would be performing in Detroit at an IGNYTE event and I am only now learning about the actions and behavior of the owner,” Volpe wrote to X. “It is truly disgusting and inhumane. I will not be performing at that show again.”
“Guys, we just announced our show in Detroit a few hours ago,” Belgian DJ Eptic wrote to X. “We have just found out about the actions of the IGNYTE event organizers and we have to act. We simply do not want to collaborate or support abusers. We apologize to everyone who was looking forward to the show. We still want to play in Detroit and the team is looking for other options that are not related to the IGNYTE event.”
Eptic added: “They don’t get as much attention, but we have to hold promoters to the same standards as artists. This is the third time we’ve had to cancel a show because a promoter was saying weird things.”
In a subsequent Facebook post, Nemat wrote that he was recovering from his injuries.
“Some of the worst people I’ve ever met have come from this industry,” she wrote, “(Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some of the best people too) but I’m going to be stepping away from this whole industry for a while.”
Metro Times has reached out to both parties for comment and will update this post if we hear back.
A friend has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover Nemat’s medical, dental and legal costs.
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