Eddie Trunk, a radio show host and longtime friend of Ace Frehley, recently addressed claims made in a YouTube video alleging that Ace lost $15 million during the KISS reunion deal. Trunk posted his response on X (formerly Twitter).
The video, uploaded by the channel Ace Frehley: The Untold Legacy, claimed that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley’s lawyers arranged a contract that left Ace earning only half of what the other original members made during the profitable reunion tour. However, Trunk quickly questioned the video’s reliability.
According to the video, “1996, in a backstage room at Madison Square Garden, 45-year-old Ace Frehley was staring at the contract in his hands. His signature, Ink Still Wet, had just formalized one of the biggest heists in rock history. That night, as he walked onto stage, 18,000 fans celebrated the return of Space Ace. But Ace had to accept a new reality.
The Kiss reunion tour would become one of the most lucrative rock tours in history, but he would only receive half of what the original members were getting. Jean Simmons and Paul Stanley’s lawyers had stolen $15 million from Ace through a masterfully crafted contract trap, and that money would never be paid back.”
One KISS fan commented on the video, asking, “Can anyone confirm the information in this video? I thought Ace made a lot more money for the reunion tour than what’s mentioned here. If true, that’s terrible how that went down.”
Trunk replied to the claims, stating, “As we know, people can literally make up anything online and post it. And sadly a TON do.” He continued, “I didn’t listen to this all through, but it lost me 2 minutes in when it says Kiss fired Ace. They didn’t. He left. So right there I’m out as far as legitimacy.”
Trunk’s remarks underscored factual issues within the video’s story, implying that its claims lacked credibility due to inaccuracies regarding Ace’s exit from KISS. To understand the broader dispute, it’s necessary to look at the real details of Ace’s return during the 1996 reunion and Trunk’s credibility as a KISS authority.
Ace Frehley rejoined KISS in 1996 for the reunion tour, marking the first time all four original members had performed together since Peter Criss’s 1980 departure, according to KissFAQ.COM. During the reunion, Ace and Peter were not full partners but were contracted as employees, initially earning $40,000 per show.
This arrangement directly contradicts the video’s implication of a malicious financial setup by Simmons and Stanley. Ace’s earnings later increased—he renegotiated to $50,000 per show, then up to $90,000 per show, plus a share of merchandise sales. These numbers indicate that Ace had the ability to negotiate better terms, inconsistent with being caught in a “masterfully crafted contract trap.”
Eddie Trunk’s critique carries significant weight. As Ultimate Classic Rock notes, Trunk is a respected radio host, author, and KISS historian who has interviewed band members extensively. His expertise and long-standing connection to the band make his factual corrections particularly credible.
Ultimately, Trunk’s skepticism about the video’s claims highlights a broader problem of misinformation in online rock narratives. His quick identification of the “fired versus left” error demonstrates that the video’s foundation is questionable and should be carefully examined before accepting its version of KISS’s financial dealings as truth.
