“When you bare it all, you’ve got nothing to hide.” David Ellefson on the sex scandal that got him fired from Megadeth

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson takes a philosophical view of the controversy that saw his tenure with the thrash legends come to an end

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has opened up on the sex scandal that cost him his job with the thrash metal legends in 2021. Speaking exclusively to Metal Hammer, the veteran musician takes a somewhat philosophical view of the ordeal, stating that while it has caused he and his family great personal pain, he has been able to find some positives to take with him moving forward.

“There’s two sides to it,” he explains. “One: when you bare it all, you’ve got nothing to hide. Fuck it, now you can truly be yourself! We all come into the world with our birthday suit on, so what are we ashamed of? What I feel the worst about is the embarrassment that it caused some people, like my family, who didn’t deserve it. Out of respect for them, I’m going to keep the family dynamic off the table [during interviews]. That’s at their request.”

Ellefson goes on to claim that Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine was unwilling to let the scandal play out and potentially leave an opportunity for Ellefson to return to the band down the road.