KISS bassist Gene Simmons addressed claims made by late KISS guitarist Ace Frehley that he groped Frehley’s girlfriend at the time. Simmons offered his account of the situation in a recent interview.
The discussion centered on allegations that had been made public regarding a woman Frehley lived with. It also covered the legal proceedings that followed.
When asked, “Your ex-bandmate Ace Frehley said that you groped his wife,” Simmons responded:
“Oh no, I think you’re talking about his girlfriend cuz he was still married. There was a girl he lived with for two years and she made all kinds of public statements about stuff about myself, about Paul and Doc McGee, our manager,” Simmons said.
Simmons went on to explain the legal process that later took place involving Frehley and the woman in question.
“And then there was a lawyer involved and Ace came in and while he was alive, we still have that signed an affidavit subject to what’s called when you lie in court. What is that called? There’s a legal document that you sign perjury, right? That if you lie, if you sign this and you lie, you go to jail. So he signed the thing saying it’s That never happened. I was there,” he continued.
He then described how the woman herself later retracted her statements.
“And then the girl, I don’t remember her name, finally came into the lawyer when they had a heart-to-heart and started to apologize. And she signed the affidavit that said, ‘I’m so sorry this never happened.’ And so, you know, all of a sudden they split and then after they split, the money stopped coming and then she made all kinds of and I look, good luck. I hope you survive and everything’s okay,” Simmons said.
He closed his remarks by reflecting on the scrutiny that comes with fame.
“But when you get into a position, I’m not talking about myself. Once you become a household name and all that, bigger than Russell Brand and everything, watch all the that’s going to come to your way,” Simmons said.
These comments come against the backdrop of a relationship between Simmons and Frehley that had grown far more complicated in the months following the guitarist’s death.
Frehley died on October 16 at the age of 74 after sustaining a serious head injury from a fall at his home studio in Morristown, New Jersey. The Morris County Medical Examiner ruled his death accidental, attributing it to blunt-force head trauma sustained in the fall.
Simmons drew significant backlash in December after saying that a sequence of “bad decisions” played a role in Frehley’s demise. He pointed to substance misuse he suggested contributed to the fatal fall. The remarks sparked immediate criticism from fans and fellow musicians. Simmons walked back his comments just days later.
Simmons issued a public apology on social media. He wrote that he regretted the words he used and stressed that he had always cared for Frehley. He maintained that Frehley had ignored advice from people who cared about him, including Simmons himself, over the years.
Despite the decades of tension between the two founding KISS members, Simmons has repeatedly emphasized the deep bond between them. He has cited the bond forged by building the band from nothing and achieving global success together. He has since paid tribute to Frehley on stage with the Gene Simmons Band. This marks one of the few public gestures of remembrance he has made for his former bandmate.
