Sammy Hagar Fires Back After Alex Van Halen Calls Him a “Complete Idiot”: “The Truth Hurts”
By Website Content Manager
Some rivalries simply refuse to fade.
Sammy Hagar has responded after his former Van Halen bandmate Alex Van Halen publicly described him as a “complete idiot.”
The remark came during a recent interview between Van Halen and Brazilian music journalist Marcelo Vieira for Roadie Crew magazine.
Vieira, who translated Alex Van Halen’s 2024 memoir Brothers into Portuguese for its Brazilian release, asked the drummer about the autobiographies written by two of his former bandmates, David Lee Roth and Hagar.
Van Halen had positive words for Roth’s Crazy From The Heat, calling it an interesting look at that period of the band’s history. His opinion of Hagar’s memoir, however, was considerably less favorable.
When asked about Hagar’s book Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock, Van Halen said he had no interest in reading it or knowing what was written in it. He then bluntly offered his opinion of the singer, calling Hagar “a complete idiot.”
The comment was later shared online by the Instagram account Rock Celebrities, where it caught Hagar’s attention.
Hagar responded directly in the comments, suggesting that he felt the public criticism was unnecessary at this point in their lives. He ended his response by calling for peace between the former bandmates.
The latest exchange comes after years of tension between Hagar and Van Halen. In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, Hagar discussed the strained relationship and rejected the suggestion that their differences simply stemmed from Van Halen being a private person while Hagar has been more willing to discuss their history publicly.
Hagar said he had previously tried to understand what was behind the hostility, even discussing the issue with former Van Halen manager Irving Azoff.
One possible explanation he had heard involved Cabo Wabo, the nightclub and business venture originally established by Van Halen members. Hagar explained that the bandmates had initially shared ownership, but eventually transferred their interests to him after the business began losing money.
According to Hagar, he later turned the venture into a highly successful business, generating hundreds of millions of dollars. He said he had been told that Van Halen and others might have resented the outcome.
Hagar questioned why anyone would be angry about the situation, arguing that his former bandmates had voluntarily given up their interests and left him responsible for the business. He also recalled being required to sign agreements protecting them from potential legal or financial consequences.
Despite years having passed, the latest comments suggest that tensions between the former bandmates have not completely disappeared.