Slipknot confirmed Friday that it has parted ways with Sid Wilson, the band's DJ and keyboardist and one of its nine original masked members, ending a run of nearly three decades. The announcement appeared briefly on the band's Instagram and website before being taken down within minutes, leaving fans and outlets to debate whether the split was official.
The statement, since deleted from the band's own accounts, read in full: "Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson. We wish him the best in his future endeavors." Hours later, according to Loudersound, the identical wording resurfaced on the Instagram account for Knotfest, the touring festival Slipknot created, effectively reaffirming the news even as the band's own post stayed down.
The public confirmation capped roughly two weeks of swirling reports. Wilson was reportedly told on July 31 that he had been permanently removed from the band, a decision TMZ reported stemmed from frustration over how Wilson treated his bandmates rather than any single incident — described by sources as a decision that had been building rather than one made in the heat of the moment. Guitarist Jim Root had initially urged fans toward skepticism about the firing rumors, posting "Don't believe everything you read. Stop. Think. Take a breath," before the band's own statement effectively confirmed the reports were accurate.
Wilson, known onstage for his acrobatic stage dives and turntable work under his mask and coverall, was among the group's founding members when Slipknot formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995, and has appeared on every one of the band's studio albums since its 1999 self-titled debut. His departure leaves the band's masked lineup further thinned following the 2019 firing of clown-masked percussionist Chris Fehn and the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray.
The fallout has extended into Wilson's personal life. His ex-fiancée, television personality Kelly Osbourne, with whom he shares a young son, posted publicly on Instagram amid the reports, writing that it was "strange how the loudest defense of the guilty is rarely innocence" and calling on Wilson to "take some responsibility," according to Loudersound's reporting. Neither Wilson nor Slipknot has publicly detailed the specific conduct that led to his removal.
Slipknot has not announced a replacement or said whether Wilson's percussion and turntable role will be filled for upcoming shows. The band, which won a Grammy in 2006 and has sold millions of albums worldwide, has weathered lineup turnover before without pausing its touring schedule, and it is not yet clear whether this split will affect any dates on the books.
