Gene Simmons apologises for branding Prince’s death ‘pathetic’

Gene Simmons has apologised for branding Prince’s death “pathetic” after alleging that the musician killed himself.

Simmons, 66, praised the late singer for being “heads, hands and feet above all the rest” during an interview with Newsweek, before adding: “But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don’t kid yourself, that’s what he did. Slowly, I’ll grant you... but that’s what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death.”

Following his comments, the Kiss musician took to Twitter to apologise and explained how he was scolded by his family over the remarks.

"I just got such s*** from my family for my big mouth again,” he wrote. “I apologise — I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts.

“I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them coming up in the rock scene."

Simmons said he was raised to view drug users as “losers” and said as a result he has struggled to “change with the times”.

He continued: “Needless to say, I didn’t express myself properly here – I don’t shy away from controversy, and angry critics really don’t bother me at all. If I think I’m right, I’ll throw up a finger and dig my heels in and laugh. But this time, I was not. So, my apologies.”

In a postscript Simmons shifted some of the blame onto the press who he accused of "quote-mining things I've said in the past and applying it to new situations" before warning fans to be wary of click bait.

His fellow Kiss frontman Paul Stanley condemned the comments and also apologised on Simmons’ behalf.

“Embarrassed by cold clueless statements re Prince's death,” he tweeted alongside a link to the Newsweek article. “Without all the facts better to say nothing. My apologies.”

Prince died, aged 57, at his Paisley Park Estate last month. Police investigating his death have interviewed a Minnesota doctor who prescribed medication and saw the pop star the day before he died.

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