The estate of Joey Jordison is suing Slipknot for allegedly profiting over the late drummer’s death – a decade after the founding member was kicked out of the band.
The lawsuit, obtained by Page Six, lists band members Corey Taylor and Michael Shawn “Clown” Crahan, claiming they used Jordison’s death to boost sales for their 2022 album, “The End, So Far.”
“While family, friends and fans mourned the loss of the legendary drummer, neither bandmate expressed condolences to Jordison’s family after his passing. Instead, Taylor and Crahan heartlessly sought to profit off of Jordison’s death,” the documents allege.
“Taylor publicly dedicated ‘The End, So Far’ to Jordison, claiming that the realization of Jordison’s passing ‘crept in’ while making the album. Taylor even acknowledged that he and Crahan had mistreated Jordison in an interview, telling fans that they ‘were hoping to mend fences with him, and it’s one of those things that tells you: whatever you need to do, do it now, because you never know when you’re gonna lose somebody.’”
The estate, Steamroller, LLC, further alleges that the metal band never returned Jordison’s equipment – including musical instruments, gear and wardrobe – and has been using his belongings in their traveling museum, Knotfest.
“After abruptly kicking Jordison out of Slipknot in 2013, Taylor and Crahan expressly promised in a written agreement to return all of Jordison’s belongings in exchange for Jordison’s promise to release certain claims against them,” the lawsuit claims.
“Unbeknownst to Jordison, [they] had executed the agreement with no intention of performing their obligations thereunder, and knowingly concealed from Jordison that they possessed numerous other items belonging to Jordison that they never returned to him.”
Slipknot’s legal team has responded via court documents and asked that the lawsuit be dismissed, stating, “Defendants generally deny each and every allegation and purported claim set forth in Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint and further deny that Plaintiff is entitled to any relief whatsoever.”
Page Six has reached out to reps for the band and Knotfest for further comment.
Jordison, who was the original drummer and co-founder of Slipknot, died in July 2021 at the age of 46 after suffering from transverse myelitis, a rare disease of the nervous system. He was also a guitarist and drummer for Murderdolls and Scar the Martyr, respectively, and performed with bands and artists like Metallica, Korn and Rob Zombie over the years.
The late musician founded Slipknot in 1995 with percussionist Crahan and Paul Gray. While there have been several lineup changes over the years, the band featured nine members for over a decade at the height of their fame: Jordison, Taylor, Crahan, Gray, Craig Jones, Mick Thomson, Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn and Jim Root.
Slipknot announced via their website in December 2013 that they were “parting ways” with Jordison.
“It is with great pain but quiet respect, that for personal reasons Joey Jordison and Slipknot are parting ways. We all wish Joey the best in whatever his future holds,” the band shared in a statement.
“It is our love for all of you, as well as for the music we create, that spurs us to continue on and move forward with our plans for releasing new material in the next year.”
The drummer addressed the longstanding rumors regarding his departure in a July 2014 Facebook post.
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“To my fans, friends, and associates… I want to make it very clear that I DID NOT QUIT SLIPKNOT. This band has been my life for the last 18 years, and I would never abandon it, or my fans,” Jordison wrote in part at the time.
“This news has shocked and blindsided me as much as it has all of you. While there is much I would like to say, I must remain silent to further details at this time. I would like to thank you all for your unwavering love and support, and wish everyone a very happy and healthy New Year.”
Jordison later claimed in a 2016 interview with Metal Hammer that there was “no band meeting” or “anything from management” regarding his “f-cking cowardly” and “f–ked up” exit.
“All I got was a stupid f—ing email saying I was out of the band that I busted my ass my whole life to f–king create,” he alleged, claiming his bandmates also mistook his transverse myelitis diagnosis for a drug abuse problem.
“They got confused about my health issues and obviously even I didn’t know what it was at first. They thought I was f–ked up on drugs, which I wasn’t at all.”
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