John Frusciante Says 'The Occult' Played A Role In His Last RHCP Departure

John Frusciante has revealed that he was "deep into the occult" at the time of his 2009 departure from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The guitarist, who reunited with the band for a third go-around in 2019, tells Classic Rock magazine that his fascination with witchcraft began as a simple distraction but soon exacerbated the challenges in his daily life.

"I became quite off-balance mentally those last couple of years we toured," he said. "As the tour went on, I got deep into the occult, which became a way of escaping the mindset of tour life.

"The occult tends to magnify whatever you are, and I was an imbalanced mess."

Frusciante stopped short of blaming the supernatural for his second departure from the Chili Peppers. He says he grew tired of the constant pressure that came with the job. Maybe the occult made him feel that pressure more acutely.

By the time Frusciante told his bandmates that he wanted to leave again, Anthony Kiedis says no one tried to stop him. It was clear that Frusciante needed to figure out some things.

"We were like, 'We understand, it's obvious it's not where you want to be,'" Kiedis said.

Ultimately, while the Chili Peppers loved Frusciante's replacement, Josh Klinghoffer, that partnership had run its course by 2019. Flea, Chad Smith and Kiedis agreed it was time to move on, and Frusciante, who had remained a friend of the band, was just a phone call away.

The result of that turmoil is the Chili Peppers' new album, Unlimited Love, due to arrive April 1.

Check out the latest single from the album, "Poster Child," via the player below!