David Ellefson recently discussed his split from Megadeth and the sex scandals he has faced since his departure.
In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Ellefson looked back on how he was kicked out of Megadeth and recalled his former bandmate Dave Mustaine’s approach to his scandals. Though earlier the rocker stated that he regretted the decisions that caused him to split from the band, he now takes a different approach than before:
“There’s two sides to it. One: when you bare it all, you’ve got nothing to hide. Fuck it, now you can truly be yourself! We all come into the world with our birthday suit on, so what are we ashamed of? What I feel the worst about is the embarrassment that it caused some people, like my family, who didn’t deserve it. Out of respect for them, I’m going to keep the family dynamic off the table [during interviews]. That’s at their request.”
Mustaine’s Decision To Fire Ellefson
The relationship between Mustaine and Ellefson has been rocky since 2002. Following Megadeth’s breakup due to Mustaine’s wrist injury, the bassist engaged in a lawsuit against Mustaine, leading to a significant rift between them. With the sex scandals added to the list of feuds, Mustaine made the decision to fire him. Discussing his decision, Ellefson continued:
“Dave, his manager and his lawyer [called me after the scandal]. There was a sentiment from one of them saying, ‘Let’s step back, let Ellefson deal with it. It leaves the door open for him to come back.’ Dave didn’t want that. He made his decision and it is what it is.”
Why Did Effelson Face Sex Scandal Allegations?
The allegations started when Ellefson confessed to the police that he engaged in explicit messaging with a Dutch teenager. The teenager had recorded their encounters without his consent, and these videos were later shared among friends, eventually surfacing online with accusations that Ellefson had been grooming an underage fan.
To substantiate his claims, Ellefson underwent a polygraph test and provided the police with a photo of the victim’s driver’s license to confirm her age, which turned out to be 19. Additionally, he shared screenshots of conversations he had with her that were relevant to the allegations. As a result, he was fired from Megadeth.
Since his split, the bassist has been continuing his career with a number of new projects, including The Lucid and Dieth.
