Sid Wilson emerged publicly for the first time since his shocking exit from Slipknot, pulling into a Los Angeles recording studio just days after TMZ broke the news of his permanent departure. The turntablist—who had been the masked band’s anchor since 1998—offered zero commentary on the situation. When directly asked if he’d been fired, Wilson kept his head down and stayed silent as his friend joked, “We are late for church man,” before the pair headed inside the studio.
This quiet studio session caps a drama-filled 48 hours for one of metal’s most enduring figures. According to sources close to the band, Wilson was informed late Friday afternoon on July 31 that he’d been permanently kicked out of the Iowa metal outfit—no explanation, no warning, no word from band leadership. Shortly after TMZ’s report, guitarist Jim Root posted cryptically on Instagram: “Don’t believe everything you read,” which only deepened the murk around whether Wilson’s exit is actually final or whether something more complex is unfolding behind the scenes. Neither Slipknot nor Wilson had issued an official statement, and the band’s official social media channels and website have not announced any line-up change.
The timing hits brutally hard for Wilson, who’s been dealing with a cascade of personal turbulence. In 2024, Wilson suffered serious burns to his arms and face following a bonfire explosion on his Iowa farm. Then he and Kelly Osbourne—his fiancée and the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne—broke off their engagement in March 2026, ending a relationship that had lasted nearly four years. The engagement had been the stuff of rock-world fairy tales: Wilson had proposed to Kelly backstage at BLACK SABBATH’s farewell show in July 2025, just weeks before Ozzy’s death. Now it’s gone.
For Slipknot, this is yet another seismic shift in a band that’s bled core members over the past few years. The band has already seen departures from original percussionist Chris Fehn, original keyboardist Craig Jones, and longtime drummer Jay Weinberg. Wilson’s removal—if confirmed—represents the loss of another founding-era pillar. The man known as #0, Sid is basically a stuntman who happens to be a world-class DJ; in the early days he was famous for diving off balconies, and nowadays provides eerie samples and scratches that make Slipknot sound industrial. You don’t replace that energy overnight.
What’s fascinating—and infuriating for fans—is the radio silence. No official reason has been offered. It’s presently unclear what led to Wilson’s dismissal. The studio session suggests Wilson’s not taking this lying down; he appears to be staying busy in the studio, even as speculation continues to swirl about his future. He’s also got his own lane—Wilson runs a rap label, Vomit Face Records—so he’s not without options.
But here’s what nags: Slipknot is heading into what sounds like a new creative cycle. The band’s been off the road for over a year and working on new music. Canning your #0 right now? That’s either a statement about the direction of the band, or it’s a personal beef so serious that it overcame 28 years of history. The fact that Root felt compelled to post “Don’t believe everything you read” suggests the official narrative might be different from what’s hitting the wires. Until someone actually speaks—Wilson, Root, Corey Taylor, Clown—we’re just watching a man in a black hoodie walk into a studio, refusing to engage.
The 16BARS take: Slipknot’s original nine have dwindled to whispers; now their #0 is walking into studios in silence while the band refuses to explain. Whether this is a real firing or a psych-out, the masked metal machine just lost another piece of its mystique.
