By Valerie Milano
Quote from Jeane Marie:
“We need a clear zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence and sexual assault—an independent body contracted by the NHL to make fair decisions, because too much gets swept under the rug.”
Click below for our exclusive interview:
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 6/19/25 – In a sport where aggression is cheered on the ice, it’s what happens off the rink that’s been hardest to confront. Nearly a decade after Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov was arrested for domestic violence, advocates say the NHL still lacks the transparency, urgency, and accountability needed to protect victims. Among the loudest voices calling for change: singer-songwriter and activist Jeane Marie, who recently sat down with The Hollywood Times for a candid interview. “I have some girlfriends who have dated NHL athletes,” Jeane Marie said. “They endured traumatic experiences—beatings, abuse, assault. When I saw their bruises, their injuries, how they had to uproot their entire lives, I knew I had to speak for them when they couldn’t.”
Jeane Marie’s activism is rooted in painful personal experience. “I’ve been in an arranged marriage in a Middle Eastern, Muslim family culture that doesn’t really support women,” she said. “It almost normalizes men beating their wives and controlling them.”
It was that personal history that pushed her to intervene when her friends began showing troubling signs. “The red flags were clear: black eyes, isolation from friends and family, and vague or cryptic social media posts. Those three things together told me something was deeply wrong,” she explained. “I reached out—and sadly, I was right.”
In 2014, the NHL was criticized for its slow and vague response to Voynov’s arrest. While he was suspended indefinitely and later left the league to play in Russia, no clear domestic violence policy was in place at the time. Since then, the NHL has introduced mandatory training on sexual assault and domestic violence for players—but many say it’s not nearly enough. “They say they’re working on it, but there’s been no real change,” Jeane Marie noted. “I’ve emailed the league, protested outside games. What we need is a zero-tolerance policy and an independent body to investigate abuse cases—not team management or PR departments.”
Asked whether she feels safe naming the players involved; Jeane Marie was direct: Not right now—for my own safety. But the information is out there. Anyone can find it.”
The culture of silence—by leagues, teams, and even fellow players—makes change even harder. “There’s too much money and reputation on the line. That’s why these women get silenced. That’s why they stay.”
And yet, Jeane Marie is committed to being one of the voices that breaks through the noise. “If I can help one woman avoid what I went through—or what my friends went through—it’s worth it.”
She described the impossible choice many women face when they’re dependent on powerful men. It’s a catch-22: stay and be supported financially but abused physically, or leave and start over with nothing,” she said. “Most women endure. But at some point, you have to choose yourself. The problem is, if you’ve been isolated from friends and family, that choice feels impossible.”
Jeane Marie has even taken her advocacy directly to the Crypto.com Arena, home of the Kings. “I stood outside games with signs. I handed out flyers. I wanted the fans to know what was happening behind the scenes.”
But she says fans and media often avoid engaging with stories that challenge their team loyalty or image of the sport. “People want to cheer for their heroes. But real courage is holding your heroes accountable.”
Jeane Marie’s website, www.jeanemarie.com, includes a section with resources for survivors, including national hotlines, local shelters, and safety planning tools.
She may be number three on the Billboard Hot 100, but she says her true mission goes beyond music. Music is how I connect with people emotionally—but this advocacy is how I hope to save lives,” she said. “I’m not just here to entertain. I’m here to protect.” What people often misunderstand about sexual violence in pro hockey is that it’s about a bigger problem in the system.
When something serious happens, like with Evander Kane or Milan Lucic, fand and media often treat it like a one-time thing. But these cases show a deeper issue: the NHL doesn’t have strong rules or systems in place to handle sexual assault or domestic violence.
In a league still grappling with its image and accountability, Jeane Marie’s message is unflinching: You can’t promote toughness and ignore abuse. Real strength is making change. Real leadership is saying, ‘We won’t tolerate this—not on our teams, not in our sport.’”
