Heavy metal band Megadeath announced via social media on Monday, May 24 that they are officially parting ways with bassist David Ellefson. The band’s co-founder and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine wrote on Megadeth’s official Twitter account:“We are informing our fans that David Ellefson is no longer playing with Megadeth and that we are officially parting ways with him. We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward. We look forward to seeing our fans on the road this summer, and we cannot wait to share our brand new music with the world. It is almost complete.”
Variety has reported that Ellefson had been accused of “grooming an underage girl through messages and videos online, which circulated on social media.” Ellefson denied the allegations on his now-private Instagram account, writing that the videos were “private, adult interactions that were taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family.”
David Ellefson and Dave Mustaine co-founded Megadeath together in 1983; Ellefson left the band in 2002, but later rejoined in 2010.
Editorial credit: TDC Photography / Shutterstock.com
