Editing Gene Simmons (section)

== Controversies==
===NPR interview===

During an interview on the [[NPR|National Public Radio]] (NPR) program ''[[Fresh Air]]'' on February 2, 2002,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insidehook.com/article/music/gene-simmons-terry-gross-npr |title=Remembering Gene Simmons' Contentious Interview with Terry Gross, 20 Years Later |publisher=InsideHook |date=January 21, 2022 |access-date=June 27, 2022}}</ref> Simmons told [[Terry Gross]]: "If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you're also going to have to welcome me with open legs", paraphrasing a lyric from [[the Who]]'s 1981 song "[[You Better You Bet]]". Gross replied: "That's a really obnoxious thing to say". At the time, Simmons refused to grant permission to NPR to make the interview available online.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/TerryGrossInterviewWithGeneSimmons|title=Terry Gross interview with Gene Simmons|work=Internet Archive|access-date=August 13, 2009}}</ref> However, it appears in print in Gross' book ''All I Did Was Ask'' and unauthorized transcripts are available. NPR re-broadcast part of the interview in August 2007.<ref name="npr">{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14081542|title=The Unpredictable Gene Simmons|date=August 31, 2007|publisher=[[NPR]]|access-date=February 1, 2011}}</ref> In a 2014 interview with ''[[HuffPost]]'', Simmons noted he was upset over what he perceived as Gross's "holier-than-thou" attitude, which included mislabeling his band Kiss as "the Kiss".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Branch|first1=Chris|title=Gene Simmons Calls NPR's Terry Gross 'Arrogant And Insulting'|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/kiss-gene-simmons-npr-terry-gross_n_5672201.html|newspaper=[[HuffPost]]|date=August 12, 2014|access-date=August 16, 2014}}</ref>

===File-sharing controversy===
In 2007, Simmons openly spoke out against [[music piracy]], and called for file-sharers to be sued.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/others/billboard-q-a-gene-simmons-1003671447.story|title=Billboard Q&A: Gene Simmons|magazine=Billboard |date= November 12, 2007 |first1=Antony |last1=Bruno |access-date=June 14, 2015|archive-date=July 22, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722144114/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/others/billboard-q-a-gene-simmons-1003671447.story|url-status=dead}}</ref> A year later, he threatened further lawsuits, and to withhold new recordings, if file-sharing continued. In 2010, [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]] staged a [[DDoS]] on his website, prompting Simmons to hit back with provocative comments once he was back online, at which point Anonymous staged a second DDoS, taking Simmons's site down again.<ref name=anonymous>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/10/gene-simmons-vs-anonymous-whos-the-bigger-asshole.ars |first1=Nate |last1=Anderson |title=Gene Simmons vs. Anonymous: Who's the bigger tool?|work=[[Ars Technica]]|access-date=June 14, 2015|date=October 18, 2010}}</ref>

In September 2014, Simmons said "The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered". Simmons blames file sharing and that no one values music "enough to pay you for it" for the decline of the rock music scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.yahoo.com/news/gene-simmons-rock-finally-dead-murdered-125100515-rolling-stone.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908070958/https://music.yahoo.com/news/gene-simmons-rock-finally-dead-murdered-125100515-rolling-stone.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 8, 2014|title=Gene Simmons: 'Rock Is Finally Dead. It Was Murdered'|date=September 7, 2014|website=Yahoo Music |first1=Daniel |last1=Kreps |access-date=June 14, 2015}}</ref>

===Comments on suicide and depression===
In July 2014, Simmons made comments in an interview with Songfacts that encouraged those with depression to kill themselves.<blockquote>I never understand, because I always call them on their bluff. I'm the guy who says 'Jump!' when there's a guy on top of a building who says, "That's it, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to jump." Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the fuck up, have some dignity and jump! You've got the crowd.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Catlin |first=Roger |date=July 31, 2014 |title=Gene Simmons of Kiss |url=https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/gene-simmons-of-kiss |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616235725/https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/gene-simmons-of-kiss |archive-date=June 16, 2022 |access-date=September 10, 2022 |website=Songfacts}}</ref></blockquote>The comments drew criticism from [[Nikki Sixx]] of [[Mötley Crüe]], who had suffered from depression in the past.<ref name="Sixx">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/gene-simmons-depression-comments-anger-nikki-sixx-20140814 |first1=Daniel |last1=Kreps |title=Gene Simmons' Depression and Suicide Comments Anger Nikki Sixx|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=June 14, 2015|date=August 14, 2014}}</ref> Following his comments, both [[Triple M]] and Winnipeg radio station [[Power 97]] stated that they were pulling all Kiss songs from their lineup in protest.<ref>{{cite web|last1=O'Neal|first1=Sean|title=Gene Simmons continues asshole tour by telling depressed people to kill themselves|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/gene-simmons-continues-asshole-tour-telling-depres-208204|website=The AV Club|date=August 15, 2014 |access-date=August 15, 2014}}</ref> Simmons later clarified his comments and apologized for the incident.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gene Simmons sorry for 'spur of the moment' remarks about mental illness |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/18/gene-simmons-sorry-for-spur-of-the-moment-remarks-mental-illness-depression |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=May 30, 2018 |language=en |date=August 18, 2014}}</ref>

===''Fox & Friends'' incident===
On November 16, 2017, Simmons made an appearance on ''[[Fox & Friends]]'' to promote a new book, but shortly afterward, he burst into a staff meeting uninvited, unbuttoning his shirt and telling jokes. The next day, on November 17, [[Fox News]] announced that Simmons was banned for life from their program, as well as from entering any of the company's properties. Simmons later issued a statement saying that he has "a tremendous amount of respect" for the company's workers and apologized for "unintentionally offending" any staff members during his visit.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Gene Simmons banned from Fox News for life|url=http://theweek.com/speedreads/738078/gene-simmons-reportedly-banned-from-fox-news-life|magazine=The Week|access-date=November 17, 2017|date=November 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Two Women Accuse KISS' Gene Simmons of Sexual Harassment|url=http://www.metalinjection.net/metal-crimes/two-women-accuse-kiss-gene-simmons-of-sexual-harassment|work=Metal Injection|access-date=November 21, 2017|date=November 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=GENE SIMMONS Apologizes For 'Unintentionally' Offending Members Of FOX Team|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/gene-simmons-apologizes-for-unintentionally-offending-members-of-fox-team/|publisher=blabbermouth.net|access-date=November 20, 2017|date=November 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Joe|last=Tacopino|title=Gene Simmons banned from Fox News after lewd behavior|url=https://nypost.com/2017/11/16/gene-simmons-banned-from-fox-news-after-lewd-behavior/|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=January 16, 2023|date=November 16, 2017}}</ref>

===Sexual assault allegations===

In 2018, Simmons settled a sexual assault lawsuit with an unnamed radio personality, who accused him of touching her inappropriately. The woman claimed that Simmons touched her and "turned standard interview questions into sexual innuendos." Despite the settlement, Simmons denied the allegations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/kiss-gene-simmons-settles-sexual-assault-lawsuit-2352371|title=Kiss' Gene Simmons settles sexual assault lawsuit|website=[[NME]]|date=July 10, 2018|access-date=April 26, 2022}}</ref>

In 2019, Ace Frehley, who played together with Simmons for years in Kiss, stated that Simmons had groped his wife, calling Simmons an "asshole and a [[sex addiction|sex addict]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kiss-ace-frehley-gene-simmons-feud-786373/|title=Ace Frehley Blasts Gene Simmons: 'The Gloves Are Off'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=January 29, 2019|access-date=August 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Lars|last=Brundle|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8495697/ace-frehley-claims-kiss-gene-simmons-groped-wife|title=Ace Frehley Claims Kiss' Gene Simmons 'Groped' His Wife, Warns 'The S*** Will Hit The Fan'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=January 30, 2019|access-date=August 26, 2020}}</ref>