By Kate Hudson | Celebrity | January 30, 2019
I have never met the man, nor do I want to, but I know in my heart that this is true: Gene Simmons is a f*cking a*sshole and now Ace Frehley is shouting it from the rooftops.
There’s not one thing that turned me against Gene Simmons—it’s many things. He just comes off as a raging misogynistic a*sshole in basically every interview I’ve seen him in, plus he stumps for Trump and that basically means you’re dead to me forever. I’m sure a lot of you feel the same way, unless Gene Simmons is reading this, which in that case: Hey Gene, you’re an a*shole!
Anyway, KISS is having yet another “final” tour and while Ace and original drummer Peter Criss are invited to perform, as guests, on some of the stops, they are not invited to tour with the actual band they helped form. Which…ok?
Simmon, of course, fired the first shots, per Stereogum’s article via Blabber, via Simmon’s and Paul Stanley’s recent Guitar World interview (so you know you can trust this):
“Ace and Peter have gotten three chances. They were in and out of the band — fired — three times. For drugs, alcohol, bad behavior, being unprofessional.. They weren’t carrying their load… So the short answer to your question is we’d love to have Ace and Peter join us here and there. And if they don’t, it’s not going to be because of us. But they’re never going to be in KISS again.Three times is the charm; “I promise I’ll pull out” doesn’t work. It’s the boy who cried wolf: “Oh, I’ve been straight for a million years.” Terrific! Have a good life!… Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace or Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life.”
If you think a dude who wore face paint and went by the name of “Ace” is going to take that sitting down, you’re absolutely right, because I don’t think he has a standing desk, and who stands when they type? Anyway, per the Stereogum article (again) Ace fired off a very strongly worded (and deliciously bitchy) Facebook post in response.
My Reaction to Gene’s Post Today …Gene, your memory is really incorrect!…I was NEVER FIRED from KISS, I quit twice (not 3-times) of my own free will, because you and Paul are control freaks, untrustworthy and were too difficult to work with!…Your slanderous remarks about my bad habits over the years has cost me millions of dollars and now that I’m over 12-years sober you’re still saying I can’t be trusted to play a whole nights show! Well that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the last 12-years with different configurations of “The Ace Frehley Band” to you and Paul’s dismay!
…I’m also the most successful solo artist to come out of the original KISS lineup , and proud of it!…You and Paul have tried to derail my solo career multiple times over the years unsuccessfully.
…I’ve tried to be nice and friendly by inviting you and Paul to perform on my past albums for eOne Music, give each of you guys one of my prized Gibson Les Paul 59’ models, but today’s comments have made me realize you’re just an asshole and a sex addict who’s being sued by multiple Women, and you’re just trying to sweep it all under the carpet!
…The icing on the cake was when you groped my wife and propositioned her in Los Angeles at the Capitol Records building behind my back, when I was trying to help you out at one of your “Vault Experiences” which I only found out about several weeks later…she was planning on pursuing a suit against you, but I told her to call it off!!!
…Well now the gloves are off after your terrible comments today and I’m thinking that this really may be “The End Of The Road Tour” for you guys!!!
….Without a complete and heartfelt apology, an offer to give me my old job back, and removing Tommy from the Throne that I created… THE [SH*T] WILL HIT THE FAN AND THEY’LL BE NO STOPPING IT-IT’S ON!!!
Well, folks, there you have it.
Clearly I am team Ace here, because Gene Simmons is, again, a raging misogynistic a-hole.
Wherever you stand on this deliciously bitchy feud, I’m sure there’s one thing we can agree on, and that’s that: