Although Fred Durst has weathered his share of controversies over the years related to his brushes with the law, the Limp Bizkit frontman has generally steered clear of major trouble — no more so than any other notable rock star of his time.
However, in 2015, a mix-up led many to mistakenly believe that Durst was involved in a crime much darker than anything in his past. The story unraveled quickly and unexpectedly, leaving many fans confused about the real identity of the rockstar.
The HBO Docu-series That Stirred The Pot
In 2015, HBO launched a true crime docu-series titled ‘The Jinx,’ which delved deep into the life of real estate heir and millionaire Robert Durst. He was implicated in his wife’s disappearance, was tried and acquitted for the death of a Texan man, and was the prime suspect in the murder of his close friend and author, Suzan Berman.
The series brought renewed attention to Berman’s murder, a case that had gone cold for fifteen years. As the series wrapped, Durst, not the Limp Bizkit frontman, found himself arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
When Rockstars And Real Estate Heirs Collide
But where did Fred and Limp Bizkit fit into all of this? The answer lies in a rather significant reporting error. The Associated Press, reporting on Robert Durst’s arrest, mistakenly declared that the convicted murderer was none other than the ‘frontman of Limp Bizkit.’ Their news piece read:
“A Louisiana State Police trooper says millionaire Robert Durst has been booked on weapons charges in that state – on top of a first-degree murder charge lodged by Los Angeles authorities.”
Although the first half of the report was correct, the second part messed things up by adding:
“Trooper Melissa Matey told the Associated Press that an arrest warrant was issued for the former Limp Bizkit frontman, and he was rebooked in the Orleans Parish Jail on Monday under two new charges.”
This mix-up – confusing Fred Durst, the rock sensation, with Robert Durst, the alleged murderer – set the internet alight. The Associated Press quickly corrected their mistake and issued a clarifying statement. Nonetheless, the incident caught significant media attention, becoming a widely discussed and often humorously cited event on 2015’s social media timelines. Some wittily commented, ‘Fred Durst’s publicist must have had quite the day.’
