Jay Weinberg Breaks Silence After Being Fired From Slipknot

Last week, Slipknot let fans know they had parted ways with longtime drummer Jay Weinberg. The news was unexpected to the public, and apparently also unexpected to Weinberg. Over the weekend, the drummer broke his silence on being let go from the band in a lengthy Instagram message.

"I sometimes wonder what it would be like to pay a visit to my wide-eyed, 10-year-old self — falling head over heels in love with a new and exciting sound and culture — and tell him all about the last 10 years. Even on the hardest days, I’d like to think he’d be stoked about the adventure that was in store for him," he wrote, referring to his lifelong Slipknot fandom. "I was heartbroken and blindsided to receive the phone call that I did on the morning of November 5th; the news of which, most of you learned shortly after. However, I’ve been overwhelmed by — and truly grateful for — the outpouring of love and support I’ve received from this incredible community I consider to be my creative and artistic home."

"This is not the ending to the journey I’d dreamt of, and committed myself to seeing through — not by a long shot," Weinberg admitted before turning his focus to the positive. "But, despite the confusion and sadness, there is something that’s provided an equal amount of comfort. For many of you reading this: 10 years ago, we weren’t yet acquainted. And now, we are. For that, I’m thankful in ways I’ll never be able to fully express."

"I love playing the drums. I’ll always love playing the drums. I’ll always have a passion for music, art, and creative expression. Nothing will ever change that," he added. "I don’t know how, and I don’t know when, but I look forward to creating loud, passionate, and heartfelt music that we enjoy together again. Until then, please know it’s been the joy of a lifetime to spend the last 10 years with you, sharing in our love for this special corner of the music and art world."

"This isn’t the end, and I’m thrilled to discover what the future has in store for us," he ended his emotional message. "Thank you."

Weinberg joined the band in 2014 after founding member Jordison's departure. He's featured on three Slipknot albums: .5: The Gray Chapter (2014), We Are Not Your Kind (2019), and The End, So Far (2022). This isn't the only lineup shakeup to happen in recent band history. Slipknot also gave Craig Jones and Chris Fehn the boot in 2023 and 2019, respectively. See his full statement below.