Editing Megadeth (section)

==Controversies==
Mustaine has made numerous inflammatory statements in the press,<ref>{{cite web|last=Crawford|first=Allyson B.|title=Megadeth Frontman Dave Mustaine's Most Controversial Quotes|url=http://noisecreep.com/dave-mustaine-quotes/|website=[[Noisecreep]]|date=April 5, 2012|access-date=November 21, 2013}}</ref> usually regarding issues with former Metallica bandmates. The feud stemmed from his ejection from the band, how it was conducted, and disagreements on songwriting credits.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hartmann|first=Graham|title=Metallica vs. Dave Mustaine&nbsp;– Nastiest Rock Feuds|url=http://loudwire.com/metallica-vs-dave-mustaine-nastiest-rock-feuds/|work=[[Loudwire]]|date=August 31, 2012|access-date=November 21, 2013}}</ref> Mustaine expressed his anger in the movie ''[[Metallica: Some Kind of Monster]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hay|first=Carla|title="Monster" Film Reveals Metallica's Dynamics|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=January 17, 2004|volume=116|page=15|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gg8EAAAAMBAJ&q=dave+mustaine+fired+metallica&pg=PA15|access-date=November 21, 2013}}</ref> in a scene he later disapproved of as he felt he was mischaracterized, and that it did not represent the full extent of what happened during the meeting.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|title=Megadeth Frontman, Filmmakers At Odds Over Metallica Doc|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1489539/megadeth-frontman-filmmakers-at-odds-over-metallica-doc/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524093031/http://www.mtv.com/news/1489539/megadeth-frontman-filmmakers-at-odds-over-metallica-doc/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 24, 2014|publisher=[[MTV]]|date=July 20, 2004|access-date=November 21, 2013}}</ref>

During a live performance of "Anarchy in the U.K." at a 1988 show in [[Antrim (borough)|Antrim]], [[Northern Ireland]], Mustaine dedicated the song to "the cause" of "giving Ireland back to the Irish!"{{refn|Before the show in Antrim, Mustaine discovered that [[counterfeit|bootlegged]] Megadeth T-shirts were on sale in the venue. The seller explained to Mustaine that he was raising money for "[[Provisional Irish Republican Army|The Cause]]". Mustaine felt supportive of the idea and unknowingly dedicated the last song to the organization, saying: "This one's for the cause, give Ireland back to the Irish, anarchy in Antrim." The quote was inspired by [[Paul McCartney]]'s song "[[Give Ireland Back to the Irish]]".<ref>{{cite web|first=Kenny|last=Herzog|title=Dave Mustaine Interview|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/dave-mustaine-59091|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=July 18, 2011|access-date=June 4, 2014}}</ref>|group=nb}} Before the final song, Mustaine said, "This one's for the cause! Give Ireland back to the Irish!"<ref name="Rust">{{cite web|first=Richard |last=Bienstock |title=Megadeth: Rust Never Sleeps |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/megadeth-rust-never-sleeps |work=[[Guitar World]] |date=September 17, 2010 |access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref> This elicited a riot and fighting among the audience between [[Irish people|Irish Nationalists]], the majority of whom are [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], and the predominantly [[Protestantism|Protestant]], [[Unionism in Ireland|British Unionists]] in attendance. The band had to travel in a bulletproof bus back to [[Dublin]].<ref name="Metal Sludge">{{cite web|author=Metal Sludge staff|title=23 Questions With Dave Mustaine|url=http://www.metalsludge.tv/?p=28520|publisher=Metal Sludge|date=September 4, 2001|access-date=December 10, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213140143/http://www.metalsludge.tv/?p=28520|archive-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> This incident served as inspiration for the song "[[Holy Wars... The Punishment Due]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Holy Wars...The Punishment Due|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/song-stories/holy-wars-the-punishment-due-megadeth|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=December 6, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309221717/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/song-stories/holy-wars-the-punishment-due-megadeth|archive-date=March 9, 2014}}</ref>

Controversial or misinterpreted lyrics have caused complications for the band. In 1988, [[MTV]] deemed that the song "[[In My Darkest Hour]]" encouraged suicide and banned the video.<ref>{{cite web|first=Laura|last=Mann|title=The Ten Best Music Videos Banned by MTV|url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2011/08/the_ten_best_videos_banned_by.php|work=[[Dallas Observer]]|date=August 1, 2011|access-date=November 22, 2013|archive-date=May 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513182039/http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2011/08/the_ten_best_videos_banned_by.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> The station banned the video for "[[A Tout le Monde]]" for the same reason, though Mustaine said the song was written from the perspective of a dying man saying his last words to his loved ones.<ref name="A Tout le Monde"/> According to him, MTV considered the videos for "[[Skin o' My Teeth]]" and "[[Symphony of Destruction]]" a "little bit too harsh" and refused to play them.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Anna Lisa|last=Pessin|title=Dressed for Success|journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=October 1992|volume=8|page=52|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wJumg6TLv8EC&q=countdown+to+extinction+thrash+metal&pg=PT53|access-date=September 20, 2013}}</ref>

During a world tour in 2001, the Malaysian government canceled the band's show in the nation's capital because the authorities had a negative perception of the group's image and music.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Barry A.|last=Jeckell|title=Billboard Bits: LL Cool J, Megadeth, Money Mark|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79013/billboard-bits-ll-cool-j-megadeth-money-mark|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 6, 2001|access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> The government deemed the band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead, as inappropriate and told the members that they would be arrested if they performed.<ref>{{cite web|title='Hero' Takes A Fall In Malaysia|url=https://www.nme.com/news/megadeth/8697|work=[[New Musical Express]]|date=July 24, 2001|access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> Dave Mustaine responded: "I recognize what the Malaysian government is trying to do, and it is admirable of them trying to protect the young people in the country. But it just shows the degree of ignorance and apathy that the government has toward the problem."<ref name="Vegas Sun"/>

In 2003, after recovering from an arm injury that threatened to end his career, Mustaine became a [[born again|born-again]] Christian.<ref>{{cite web|first=George|last=Stroumboulopoulos|publisher=[[CBS]]|title=Interview: Dave Mustaine|url=http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/guests/dave-mustaine|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref> Minor controversy was sparked by Mustaine's announcement that Megadeth would not play certain songs live due to his conversion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Prince|first=Patrick|title=Dave Mustaine at 'Peace' in his career, 25 years later|url=http://www.goldminemag.com/features/dave-mustaine-at-peace-in-his-career-25-years-later|work=[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]|date=June 13, 2011|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref> In May 2005, Mustaine allegedly threatened to cancel shows in Greece and Israel with [[extreme metal]] bands [[Rotting Christ]] and [[Dissection (band)|Dissection]] due to the bands' anti-Christian beliefs. This caused the two bands to cancel appearances.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kerby|first=Jeff|title=Dave Mustaine Speaks to KNAC.com From Gigantour| date=July 24, 2005|url=http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=3761|publisher=[[KNAC.com]]|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref>

{{Wikisource|David Ellefson v Megadeth}}
In July 2004, former bassist Ellefson sued Mustaine for $18.5 million in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York]]. Ellefson alleged that Mustaine short-changed him on profits including tour merchandise and publishing royalties.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Megadeth Founders Exchange Lawsuits|date=August 9, 2004|url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1430579/megadeth-founders-exchange-lawsuits|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref> The suit was dismissed in 2005, and Mustaine filed a countersuit alleging that Ellefson had used the band's name in an advertisement for musical equipment;<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Megadeth's Mustaine Sues Former Bassist|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/61979/megadeths-mustaine-sues-former-bassist|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=July 26, 2005|access-date=June 4, 2014}}</ref> the suit was settled out of court.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jon|last=Wiederhorn|website=[[Noisecreep]]|title=Megadeth Frontman Extends Olive Branch to Original Bassist|date=February 10, 2010|url=http://noisecreep.com/megadeth-dave-mustaine-olive-branch-dave-ellefson/|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref>

On May 10, 2021, sexually explicit videos of Ellefson were posted on Twitter. The videos, reportedly recorded by a fan that Ellefson was in correspondence with, initially led to accusations of child grooming. However, Ellefson and the other party both denied the accusations, and the fan publicly claimed they were a consenting adult and the videos were unknowingly released by a third party. The Scottsdale Police Department (SPD) was contacted by Ellefson, who sought charges for revenge porn. Ellefson took a polygraph test to affirm his claims and presented police with a photo of the fan's driver's license to prove their age. He also shared screen shots of Snapchat and WhatsApp messages related to the allegations. Ellefson's partner admitted that she had shared the video with some friends but wasn't sure how it got leaked out to others. The SPD report states the fan "was remorseful and agreed to send out a social media statement on...Instagram" that they were "a willing consenting adult during their mutual virtual sexual encounter." Ellefson then posted her statement and one of his own on May 10, asserting that the allegations of grooming were false. Ellefson stated he has not been extorted in any way, and he believes the videos of their consensual adult encounter were not intentionally leaked.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Grow|first1=Kory|date=June 7, 2021|title=David Ellefson: Ex-Megadeth Bassist Details Revenge-Porn Case in Police Report|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/david-ellefson-megadeth-bassist-revenge-porn-police-report-1179919/|access-date=January 16, 2022|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> An official statement released the next day from Megadeth stated that the situation was being "watched closely".<ref name="leak videos" /> Mustaine announced on May 24, 2021, that Ellefson was fired from the band.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/megadeth-david-ellefson-fires-sexual-misconduct-1234980355/ |title=Megadeth Fires Bassist David Ellefson After Sexual Misconduct Allegations |author=Jordan Moreau |date=May 24, 2021 |website=Variety |access-date=May 24, 2021 |quote=Heavy metal band Megadeth has parted ways with bassist David Ellefson after he was accused of sexual misconduct.}}</ref>