Ace Frehley Calls Gene Simmons an ‘A–hole’ and a ‘Sex Addict': ‘The Gloves Are Off!!’
Ace Frehley has responded following comments by Gene Simmons about the former guitarist's ability to perform more than a song or two on Kiss' upcoming End of the Road tour. Frehley referred to Simmons as an "asshole and a sex addict," and also accused the bassist of hitting on his wife last year.
UPDATE: Paul Stanley was asked about Frehley's comments in advance of Kiss' opening-night performance on the End of the Road tour. He told Billboard that he is "not sidetracked by anything. I have no comment about that."
“Ace and Peter [Criss] have gotten three chances,” Simmons said in a new Guitar World interview. “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. ... Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace of Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life.”
Frehley fired back on Facebook, arguing that he was never let go. Instead, he said he quit twice because Simmons and Paul Stanley are "control freaks, untrustworthy and were too difficult to work with!" The guitarist then claimed that Simmons' repeated "slanderous" references to Frehley's substance abuse issues have "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!"
Then came the meat of the post. "I’ve tried to be nice and friendly by inviting you and Paul to perform on my past albums for eOne Music." Frehley also said he gave "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!"
Frehley also made a specific allegation regarding his spouse: "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," Frehley said. "She was planning on pursuing a suit against you, but I told her to call it off!!!"
Frehley concluded by demanding a "complete and heartfelt apology, an offer to give me my old job back, and removing Tommy [Thayer] from the throne that I created."