Gene Simmons recently opened up about his regrets regarding former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s struggles with substance abuse. He shared his thoughts in a candid discussion on the Inside Of You With Michael Rosenbaum podcast.
The KISS bassist reflected on what he considers a failure on his part to intervene during Frehley’s battle with addiction. He expressed deep remorse for not taking action sooner.
“I should have, and could have, but I should have, a long time [ago], when you see the disease starting to get ahold of him, I should have, decades ago, took, took him aside — it’s called an intervention — and forced him to understand he’s not just hurting himself by his lifestyle choices, but his family, his child and the fans,” Simmons said.
He continued to acknowledge the band’s collective responsibility in handling the situation poorly.
“It was a stupid and shameful decision on all our parts — I know mine too — is, ‘No, you don’t wanna get the fans upset. Let’s make believe he’s in the band and everything’s okay at home.’ And it it’s tough. It’s really tough,” he explained.
Simmons also addressed potential criticism from fans while defending his perspective on Frehley’s condition.
“Right now the fans who are gonna listen to this are gonna [say], ‘Prick Gene, he never says anything [positive].’ … But the kids at home don’t understand [what it was like when Ace was loaded on drugs and alcohol]. They never met and spent time with Ace. When he’s straight — lovable, everything’s great. Early on, and when the stuff started to take hold, it was Jekyll and Hyde. You just can’t make smart decisions when you’re drunk or high,” Simmons concluded.
These revelations shed new light on the long-standing tensions between the two KISS founding members. They provide context for the band’s turbulent history during their peak years.
Blunt Magazine reported that Simmons tied Frehley’s unreliability directly to substance use. He cited missed sessions during the Destroyer era and no-shows like the Eurovision contest, where KISS performed as a trio. These incidents highlight how Frehley’s addiction affected the band’s professional commitments. They forced his bandmates to adapt to his unpredictable behavior.
The situation reached a breaking point in 1982 when Frehley made the difficult decision to leave KISS. Blunt Magazine noted that Frehley declared he was leaving for a solo career despite pleas to stay. He warned his bandmates with the stark statement: “If I don’t leave the band and if I do another tour, I’m gonna kill myself.” This dramatic exit underscored the severity of his personal struggles. It highlighted the toll that touring and band life had taken on his mental health.
The relationship between Simmons and Frehley has remained complicated over the decades. Ultimate Guitar revealed that Simmons reflected on how “a dark cloud came over” KISS after fame and money entered the picture. This contributed to the band’s internal struggles. This admission reveals Simmons’ understanding that external pressures may have exacerbated Frehley’s existing issues with substance abuse.
Despite their professional conflicts, Simmons’ recent comments suggest a more reflective and remorseful perspective on their shared history. His willingness to accept responsibility for not intervening earlier demonstrates a mature acknowledgment of how the band’s collective decisions may have enabled Frehley’s destructive behavior rather than addressing it head-on.
