The married rocker and Lutheran pastor has admitted to engaging in a series of intimate online conversations with a young woman that recently resulted in the leak of a sexually explicit videos and images by a third party.
Both Ellefson and the woman confirmed publicly that the interactions took place as initiated by the fan, that there was no “child grooming” involved, and that the two had never met in person.
"Recently, a very private video was illegally posted on the internet and false allegations were made against me,” shared Ellefson in a statement. "The actions in the video were between two consenting adults and were recorded without my knowledge. I am working with Scottsdale Police Department in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted this video. Also, my lawyers are preparing a defamation lawsuit to be filed against this person. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“I am taking this time to be with my family. I wish my bandmates the best with their upcoming tour."
Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine originally said the group were “watching developments closely” as part of their first comments on the situation; this week, the singer advised fans that “David Ellefson is no longer playing with Megadeth and that we are officially parting ways with him. We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward.”
Mustaine co-founded Megadeth with Ellefson in Los Angeles in 1983 following the guitarist’s dismissal from Metallica; the bassist was in the lineup until the group’s 2003 breakup and, while they reformed a year later, he rejoined the band in 2010.
See also:
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