Sammy Hagar appears to be steering clear of any renewed conflict with his former Van Halen bandmate Alex Van Halen, choosing a subtle, symbolic response over a direct confrontation. The rocker shared a new set of photos on Instagram in which he mimics the “three wise monkeys.” The post came days after Alex Van Halen reportedly called him a “complete idiot” in a recent interview, in an apparent attempt to reignite their long-running feud.
The caption of Sammy’s post references the well-known proverb tied to the imagery in his photos, signaling his intent to stay above the fray.
Sammy Hagar wrote in the caption of his post: “Hear No Evil. See No Evil. Speak No Evil.”
The post drew a wave of comments from Van Halen fans reflecting on the band’s legacy and internal dynamics. One fan praised Hagar’s and bassist Michael Anthony’s contributions to the band’s sound, prompting a response from Hagar himself.
“In Van Halen, everybody always talk about Eddie and his legendary guitar playing, but you know what, they had one of the best rock singers in Sammy Hagar and the best bassist/backup vocalist in Michael Anthony! Without these two, we would have only gotten a bunch of guitar solos and odd timed drum tracks!” the fan commented.
Hagar replied by acknowledging another former bandmate, David Lee Roth, for his role in the band’s early success.
“With all due respect don’t forget about Dave in the beginning. He was really important to bringing Eddie’s guitar genius to the masses,” Sammy Hagar responded.
Another fan raised questions about inconsistencies in how the band’s internal disputes have been portrayed, pointing to Alex Van Halen’s own past comments about a canceled Eddie Van Halen tribute concert.
“I hate the fact that the band I love has been and apparently still this dysfunctional. But here goes… The thing that drives me crazy is Alex himself said the Eddie ‘tribute’ concert didn’t happen because Dave refused to pay ‘tribute’ to Eddie. Now scratch your head on that one. Yet, glows about Dave and Sam’s the bad guy?” the fan wrote.
Hagar offered a brief, measured reply to the observation.
“It certainly is puzzling the way things have been handled and one has been said, but yes, humans being good,” Sammy Hagar responded.
The post comes shortly after Sammy Hagar called Alex Van Halen’s recent remarks “unnecessary” on social media, a response to the interview that has now put the entire band’s fractured history back in the spotlight.
Alex Van Halen’s “complete idiot” jab did not come out of nowhere. The drummer made the remark during an interview with Brazilian music magazine Roadie Crew, where he was asked specifically about Hagar’s 2011 memoir, “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock.” His response left little room for interpretation.
“I don’t know what he wrote, and I don’t want to know. In my opinion, Sammy Hagar is a complete idiot,” Alex Van Halen said.
The comment reflects a deeper divide in how the two men view the telling of Van Halen’s history. Alex has reportedly spoken more favorably of David Lee Roth’s own 1997 memoir, suggesting he sees Roth’s account as more accurate or more true to the band’s spirit. That contrast highlights just how differently Alex regards the two frontmen who defined separate chapters of Van Halen’s career. It goes a long way toward explaining why Hagar’s book in particular seems to have struck a nerve.
The friction between Hagar and Roth themselves is nothing new either. Back in 2002, the two co-headlined a tour together. Tensions between them nearly boiled over into a physical altercation. Promoters reportedly had to keep the two rock frontmen separated to avoid a confrontation. This is a sign that rivalries within the Van Halen extended family have simmered for decades, long before Alex’s latest comments resurfaced them.
Taken together, these details paint a picture of a band whose legacy has always been complicated by competing loyalties and lingering resentments. Whether it’s Alex favoring one era’s frontman over another, or Hagar and Roth’s own history of near-blows on tour, the tension surrounding Van Halen’s various lineups has rarely fully faded. Sammy’s latest Instagram post, with its message of choosing silence over conflict, suggests he’d rather let that history speak for itself than add fuel to a fire that has been burning for years.
