Jeremy Asbrock recently commented on the circumstances surrounding Ace Frehley’s passing. He shared previously undisclosed details in an interview on Waste Some Time with Jason Green.
Asbrock revealed that there were two falls involved in the incident. The second one proved fatal. He explained the confusion and uncertainty that surrounded the KISS guitarist’s final days.
“There was a second fall, and some stories leave that out, and some stories mention that, but yeah, there was a second fall and that was the fatal fall,” Asbrock said.
The bandmate also described the information blackout that followed the initial incident. “Man, he was dead on the internet before he was actually dead. It was freaking me out a little bit. We knew that there was a fall, and we knew that it was bad, but you know, they went dark up there for the next couple of weeks. We didn’t know anything. We didn’t know how he was progressing. We didn’t know what was happening. In a way, that kept us from leaking any information because nobody legit knew anything.”
Asbrock reflected on the outpouring of respect that followed Frehley’s death. He noted the contrast with the criticism he had faced in recent years. “Look, I knew when somebody from KISS finally passed, it’d be a big deal. But man, the bigness of Ace, I just couldn’t believe it. It was fantastic. He was getting a lot of the respect he always deserved because, you know, past couple years, all I read are people beating up on him on the internet, and like the respect part finally came out, and I mean come on, he deserved it.”
The circumstances surrounding Frehley’s passing have now been clarified through medical records and official investigations. Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of KISS, died on October 16, 2025, from blunt trauma injuries to the head sustained in a fall at his home studio, according to Consequence. The autopsy revealed he suffered a skull fracture, a subdural hematoma (brain bleed), and a stroke due to the fall. His death was officially ruled an accident by the New Jersey Morris County Medical Examiner.
Frehley had previously experienced a minor fall in his studio in late September 2025. Doctors advised him to rest and cancel live performances for recovery. However, he reportedly suffered a second, more severe fall at home that led to the fatal injuries, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. This second fall, which Asbrock referenced in his recent interview, proved to be the catastrophic event that changed everything.
The injuries were extensive and severe. The autopsy revealed multiple bone fractures to the back of his skull, contusions, hemorrhages, and bruising to other parts of his body such as the hip, thigh, and abdomen, per Consequence. The stroke that resulted from the trauma worsened his condition. This ultimately led to his fatal outcome at age 74.
After being placed on life support following the second fall, Frehley’s family made the difficult decision to take him off the ventilator. He passed away peacefully. Following his death, Frehley was mourned by his fellow KISS founding members. A private memorial service was held, followed by a funeral service in the Bronx, New York. The loss of the iconic guitarist marked the end of an era for one of rock music’s most influential bands.
