Former Six Feet Under guitarist Ola Englund has weighed in on the recent reports claiming that Slipknot quietly fired Sid Wilson. He shared his thoughts in a video. The discussion comes just a day after Wilson’s ex-fiancée Kelly Osbourne dropped new accusations against him on social media.
“There’s obviously a lot of speculation about what happened,” Englund said. “And Kelly Osbourne actually posted a bunch of sh*t on her Instagram that was kind of heavy. Actually, she deleted it later.”
“It was a lot of heavy stuff directed at uh what I assume being said Wilson,” he continued. “She wrote, ‘Strange how the loudest defense of guilty is rarely innocence. It’s distraction. When the mask slip, they don’t face the mirror, they throw it at someone else. I also heard that when you break a mirror, you get seven years of bad luck. Or is that just karma? This is why I always take accountability. As they say, some are sicker than others.’ It’s a lot, you guys.”
“The last one, the last text was, ‘Also, while I’m at it, can I have my dogs back and all my possessions? Oh, yeah, and maybe some child support,'” Englund added. “I mean, we really don’t know the full story behind all of this. We’re basically just speculating at this point what’s happening.”
Englund also addressed the state of the band’s lineup. He noted that if Sid Wilson is indeed gone, only four members remain from the original nine-piece lineup that emerged in 1999. “What really hit me is that you know if Sid is actually gone, there are now only four members left from the classic nine man Slipknot lineup that exploded, you know, back in 1999,” he said. “So at what point does Slipknot become a different band? One would ask. You know, obviously Corey, Clown, Mick, and Jim are still a massive part of the identity of the band and, you know, the new guys are incredible musicians.”
“But, man, coming from, you know, being this iconic nine person lineup to only go to four, it’s pretty wild, man,” Englund added. “But at the end of the day, it’s probably about money. Four people sharing, you know, the bigger portion of this nine piece cake. And then you have the new members that just, you know, they’re probably on a salary or a gig per gig basis. It makes sense, but it’s sad. It’s sad.”
Wilson’s departure was first reported on July 31. The turntablist had been permanently kicked out of the Iowa-based metal band. Neither Slipknot nor Wilson has publicly confirmed the firing. The situation remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Wilson’s dismissal had reportedly been a long time coming. The decision stemmed from the way Wilson treated his bandmates. His behavior had reportedly become a growing issue within the group over time.
Days after the news broke, Wilson was spotted outside a recording studio in Los Angeles. When approached by reporters and asked about his status with Slipknot, the turntablist declined to answer questions and walked away.
The alleged firing marks the end of Wilson’s nearly three-decade tenure with Slipknot. He joined the band before the release of their 1999 self-titled debut album. He was one of the last remaining original members, alongside Corey Taylor, M. Shawn Crahan, Jim Root, and Mick Thomson.
