In a brand new interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the “Scars And Guitars” podcast, David Ellefson as soon as once more opened up about his dismissal from MEGADETH greater than two years in the past, simply days after sexually tinged messages and express video footage involving the bassist had been posted on Twitter. He stated partially (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “When my departure from MEGADETH occurred, lots of people had been hitting me [up and saying], ‘Oh my God. It is so horrible. It is so horrible.’ [And I said], ‘Yeah, imagine me, it isn’t.’ [Laughs] It actually is not. I used to be prepared for it. I did not assume it was gonna go down that method; I did not see that coming. However the truth that it occurred, I used to be not unhappy about it. I used to be okay with it. As a result of I knew there’s one other journey forward, and that journey wasn’t gonna begin till I used to be out of the previous one.

“Whenever you’re in a gaggle, you are in a setting, you have gotta play firm man and also you sort of associate with the narrative that is been set forth.

“There was a whole lot of issues, a whole lot of the narrative in that band that I by no means agreed with,” Ellefson admitted. “Lots of that band was began on a grudge and a hardship of the firing [of MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine] from METALLICA. That was by no means my story. I used to be at all times a METALLICA fan and I grew to become pals with these guys. I’ve nothing however gratitude for that group and people gents for what they’ve performed for all of us, and I believe they deserve the most important applause. So it was arduous to be in a band that at all times had this saltiness round that entire narrative, as a result of it was by no means my narrative. So I went alongside to get alongside, however now I haven’t got to try this. And now I might be alone path. These are my phrases; it is my story now. And possibly the occasions that occurred a few years in the past, I wanted to have my very own story to inform. ‘Trigger if you give up a band, everybody’s pissed at you; they hate you: ‘Oh, fuck you. You give up. You give up my favourite band.’ However if you get tossed out… And I am not in search of the sympathy card. You do not have to really feel sorry for me; you do not have to do any of that. Nevertheless it’s fascinating that, I suppose the way in which it occurred… it went down in a method that it was actually seen sufficient and on a stage that… It was kind of, like, okay, effectively, what’s gonna occur subsequent? And I simply tried to be devoted to simply following my coronary heart, following the trail.”

Shortly earlier than Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH, he launched a press release on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he “groomed” an underage fan. He additionally filed a report with the police division in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging illegal distribution of sexually express pictures of him by unknown offenders. Within the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual textual content messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of a number of of their digital “masturbating encounters” with out his consent and shared them with pals. (In response to Ellefson, the lady was 19 on the time of their first digital sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first grew to become conscious of the video on Might 9, 2021, when the declare “David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile” appeared on Instagram. Ellefson informed police he was notified on Might 14, 2021 by MEGADETH that the band can be parting methods with him. Three days later, he was fired.

Mustaine — who shaped MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — launched a press release on Might 24, 2021 saying the bassist’s departure from the band. Within the assertion, Dave stated: “We don’t take this resolution evenly. Whereas we have no idea each element of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is sufficient to make working collectively inconceivable shifting ahead.”

Two days after Mustaine introduced Ellefson‘s newest departure from MEGADETH, the bassist launched a follow-up assertion during which he vowed to file a “defamation lawsuit” in opposition to the one who “illegally posted a really non-public video” of the bassist and made “false allegations” in opposition to him. He additionally stated he was working with the police in Scottsdale “of their investigation into expenses relating to revenge pornography to be filed in opposition to the one who posted the video. This particular person might be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the regulation,” Ellefson wrote. He went on to say that he was “taking this time to be with my household” and wished his “bandmates” the most effective with their tour.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit in opposition to Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on earnings and backed out of a deal to show Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was finally dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Picture credit score: Maciej Pieloch