Happy Mondays singer Rowetta has been pictured for the first time since alleging that bandmate Shaun Ryder punched her in the face during a heated public dispute.
The 59-year-old kept a low profile on Wednesday as she took her dog for a walk in Manchester, wearing a khaki camouflage raincoat.
She paired the jacket with leopard-print trousers and white trainers for the casual outing.
With her long, dark hair loose and no makeup, Rowetta pulled up her hood before stopping at a nearby shop to buy bread.
The appearance came days after Rowetta posted a series of allegations on X, claiming a punch from Ryder left her with a black eye and ‘knocked me out’ in front of her son.
In a startling post shared on Saturday, she wrote: ‘When I speak about Happy Mondays and it will always be true.
Happy Mondays singer Rowetta has been seen for the first time since accusing frontman Shaun Ryder of punching her during a heated public dispute
Rowetta, 59, kept things casual in a khaki camouflage raincoat while walking her dog in Manchester
The singer’s X posts claimed the alleged blow left her with a black eye and ‘knocked me out’ in front of her son; pictured in 2024
‘I’m not a liar Shaun Ryder punched me, knocked me out & there were lots of witnesses & my son had to see me with a black eye! Don’t call me a liar threatening with defamation! Should have called the cops!’
She continued: ‘I have said nothing for years.
‘They should be thanking me for keeping it quiet and not calling the cops instead of calling me a liar and threatening me with legal. And I’m no servant.’
Rowetta’s departure from Happy Mondays followed 34 years with the group. It was announced in December that Firouzeh, the wife of band member Bez, would take over vocal duties.
In a statement to The Sun, Ryder’s representatives said he was ‘shocked and dismayed’ by Rowetta’s claims. They described the allegations as especially painful because she had been ‘an important member of their family’ until leaving the band at the end of last year.
‘For more than 25 years Rowetta was treated with love and respect by the band, its crew and representatives,’ they said.
A further statement provided to MailOnline said: ‘This matter is now in the hands of Shaun’s lawyers. He is shocked by Rowetta’s reported claims, but in the circumstances there will be no further comment.’
Rowetta did not wish to comment further when approached by MailOnline.
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She completed the relaxed look with leopard-print trousers and a pair of white trainers
Rowetta wore her hood up, leaving her long dark hair loose and going without makeup
She also stopped at a local shop to pick up some bread
Rowetta wrote: ‘I’m not a liar Shaun Ryder punched me, knocked me out & there were lots of witnesses & my son had to see me with a black eye! Don’t call me a liar threatening with defamation! Should have called the cops!’
She added: ‘I have said nothing for years. They should be thanking me for keeping it quiet and not calling the cops instead of calling me a liar and threatening me with legal. And I’m no servant’
Rowetta left Happy Mondays after 34 years when it was announced that Bez’s wife Firouzeh would take over as vocalist; pictured in 2021
The singer’s sudden exit was announced in December through Happy Mondays’ official Instagram account and on the former X Factor contestant’s personal page.
The band’s statement said: ‘Happy Mondays and Rowetta announce that Rowetta will no longer be performing with the band. Happy Mondays thank Rowetta for her services and wish her all the best for the future’.
Rowetta later posted: ‘Really looking forward to the New Year & sharing some amazing news with you all. Thanks for all the love through the years, means the world’.
She originally joined the group in 1990 alongside founding members Shaun Ryder, Bez and the late bassist Paul Ryder. Rowetta featured on the band’s top-five hit Step On, as well as the albums Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches and Yes Please!.
However, her time with Happy Mondays was not without conflict. Rowetta and frontman Shaun Ryder endured a serious falling-out and did not speak for several years before eventually repairing their relationship.
The band announced: ‘Happy Mondays and Rowetta announce that Rowetta will no longer be performing with the band. Happy Mondays thank Rowetta for her services and wish her all the best for the future’.
Ryder’s representatives said the issue had been placed in the hands of his lawyers
Speaking to The Mirror in 2023, Rowetta said: ‘We didn’t speak for a long time, myself and Shaun. So now we’re getting on really, really better than ever.
‘Because I think it does help when you’re going through your problems and you do fall out, and you’re falling out over nothing sometimes, that if you have a break.
‘The last gig we did, we smiled, myself and Shaun, we smiled the whole way through.’
Rowetta also competed on The X Factor in 2004. Mentored by Simon Cowell, she progressed to the semi-finals of the ITV talent show.
