Former Cradle Of Filth members Zoë M. Federoff and Marek “Ashok” Šmerda have issued a new statement aimed at frontman Dani Filth, as the public dispute around the band continues to grow.
The former keyboardist/vocalist and guitarist responded after Dani Filth addressed the accusations made against him, the band, and management. In their latest statement, Federoff and Šmerda insisted that their claims are true and said they are prepared to continue the fight through legal channels.
“Given recent events, we’d like to issue a further statement,” they said. “The definition of ‘defamation’ is making ‘untrue’ statements with the intent to cause harm. Unlike the statement of Daniel Davey, Every statement we have made thus far is true and provable.”
The pair then repeated their accusations against Cradle Of Filth and the band’s management, including Bradley “Dez” Fafara.
“Cradle of Filth and their management Bradley ‘Dez’ Fafara steal from and exploit musicians, and we will continue demonstrating this via the legal route,” they continued.
The dispute began after Federoff left Cradle Of Filth during the band’s South American tour, followed by Ashok being fired shortly after. Reports at the time said the former members accused the band of low pay, high stress, unprofessional behavior, and a toxic atmosphere. Cradle Of Filth denied the accusations and continued the tour with a temporary guitarist.
In his own response, Dani Filth denied wrongdoing and described some of the allegations as attempts to damage the band. He also claimed the South American tour had been affected by internal problems involving the couple.
Federoff and Šmerda also addressed personal accusations that they say were made against them. They argued that some claims had moved beyond band business and into serious personal territory.
“For our former frontman to try and use trivial matters like supposed marital spats is laughable, but the rest of the accusations, including alcoholism and drinking while pregnant, are quite serious,” they stated. “Additionally to take a comment out of context about Sharon Osbourne is quite serious, especially given that during the same day, we have an audio recording of Davey relaying Fafara’s alleged opinions of her.”
The mention of Sharon Osbourne has become one of the most sensitive parts of the dispute. Federoff and Šmerda said they do not want the Osbourne family dragged into the argument, especially while they are grieving.
“We do not wish to involve the Osbourne family in this matter, especially in their time of grief, and we advise Davey and Fafara to end this here,” they said. “We are going public to protest the theft and exploitation we and others have suffered at the hands of Daniel Davey and Bradley ‘Dez’ Fafara. That is the core of the issue here, and we ask you not to be distracted by the rambling and instead raise awareness for the rights of musicians.”
The public fight has since grown beyond social media statements. Later reports said six former Cradle Of Filth members filed a lawsuit against Dani Filth, alleging issues including unprofessional behavior, low pay, defamation, unpaid royalties, and unauthorized use of likeness and intellectual property. Dani Filth has denied the accusations and said the matter should not be judged through social media.
For now, the conflict shows no sign of ending quietly. What began as a sudden lineup change has turned into a wider argument about pay, contracts, band management, and how touring musicians are treated.
Federoff and Šmerda’s latest statement makes their position clear: they want the focus to remain on musician rights and alleged exploitation, not on personal attacks or outside names like Sharon Osbourne.
