Rapper Yung Filly tells trial 'vibes were good' with woman who accuses him of rape

UK rapper Yung Filly told a tribunal that the “vibes were good” between him and the woman who accuses him of rape. Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, the artist’s legal name, took the stand at the District Court of Western Australia on Monday – a week after the trial began. He faces six counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of strangulation related to an alleged incident involving a woman who was past 20 years old. The alleged assault occurred in his hotel room after he performed in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth, in 2024. Barrientos, aged 30, pleaded not guilty to all charges. He said he had “fancied” the woman when they first met at the performance venue, noting that he was in the VIP area while she leaned against the barrier separating the general space. He denied any inappropriate touching. “I recall putting my hand on her waist,” he told the court, adding that he had not placed his hands inside her pants or touched her breast. The “vibes were good” between them later, when they arrived at his hotel, Barrientos stated. His defence team removed the woman’s phone, describing the action as a “standard practice” intended to protect privacy, according to Barrientos. Earlier testimony indicated that the pair had engaged in consensual activity before Barrientos allegedly became aggressive and the woman told him to stop. Barrientos, who was touring Australia at the time of the alleged offences, is also known for his work with the YouTube collective Beta Squad, appearances in the celebrity edition of Bake Off on Channel 4 and presenting roles on BBC Three. He has been on bail since being charged and was permitted to return to the UK in September for four months before coming back to Western Australia ahead of the trial. In addition to his 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, he commands three million followers on TikTok and 2.4 million on Instagram.