Slipknot Fires Sid Wilson After Nearly 30 Years — and Won’t Say Why

Sid Wilson, Slipknot’s longtime turntablist known onstage as #0, has been permanently removed from the band, with sources telling TMZ he was notified of the decision late Friday afternoon, July 31. Wilson was one of the band’s original members dating back to its late-1990s formation, recognized for his turntable work and high-energy stage presence [1]. Neither Wilson nor the band has publicly commented on the reason for his removal, though guitarist Jim Root wrote on social media, “Don’t believe everything you read” [1]. On August 2, Wilson was photographed in public for the first time since the news broke, arriving at a Los Angeles recording studio; when asked directly whether he had been fired, Wilson stayed silent and kept his head down before heading inside [2].

Why It Sucks:

Sid Wilson

• Three decades ended in one phone call. Wilson built his identity over nearly 30 years as the band’s turntablist and hype man, only to be informed of his removal in a single late-Friday notification with no public explanation offered [1].
• No chance to tell his side. By staying silent when directly asked about his status days later, Wilson is left absorbing public speculation about why he was pushed out without any ability to control his own narrative [2].
• Getting hit from every direction at once. The band split comes just months after his engagement to Kelly Osbourne ended, stacking a professional loss on top of a personal one in the same year [1].

Slipknot Fans

• Decades of loyalty, zero answers. Fans who’ve followed Wilson’s turntable work and stage antics since the band’s early years are left piecing together his exit from anonymous sourcing rather than any statement from the band itself [1].
• History makes the silence worse. Slipknot has weathered lineup upheaval before, and the lack of explanation revives old fan anxieties about internal dysfunction resurfacing within the band [1].
• Mixed signals deepen the confusion. Jim Root’s cryptic “don’t believe everything you read” comment gave fans reason to doubt the reporting without clarifying what actually happened, leaving the fanbase more uncertain rather than less [1].

Slipknot’s Remaining Members

• Silence is the only safe option. Whatever prompted the decision, saying nothing publicly protects the band from legal exposure or turning a private dispute into a media war, even though it costs them control of the story [1].
• A founding member’s exit threatens the mythology. Removing one of the band’s original masked members risks unsettling the continuity and identity Slipknot has built over nearly 30 years of consistent lineup lore [1].
• Every appearance becomes a headline. With cameras catching Wilson’s first public outing and reporters pressing him directly, the band can’t control the narrative even while staying quiet, as each ambiguous moment gets treated as new evidence [2].

Sources & Citations:

[1] TMZ: Sid Wilson Permanently Kicked Out of Slipknot
[2] TMZ: Sid Wilson Seen Out for First Time Since Slipknot Firing, Silent on Situation