Yahoo Finance Megadeth's David Ellefson Responds to Leak of 'Embarrassing' Videos: 'These Were Private, Adult Interactions'
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Megadeth's bassist David Ellefson is setting the record straight after speculation surfaced online surrounding his intimate involvement in communications with a woman other than his wife.
Over the weekend, sexually tinged messages and video footage involving the 56-year-old musician were leaked on Twitter involving the 56-year-old musician. On Monday, Ellefson released a statement on Instagram (which he has since made private), denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.
"As you may or not know, some private and personal conversations and interactions have surfaced online, released with ill intention by a third party who was not authorized to have them or share them," said Ellefson in the lengthy caption. "While certainly embarrassing, I want to address it as openly and honestly as possible."
David Ellefson/Instagram
"As much as it's not something I'm proud of, these were private, adult interactions that were taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family," he continued. "The other party involved has made a statement which you can see below. I thank her for doing so and hope that this clarifies that the situation was not at all as presented."
His post was paired with a screenshot of the statement from the woman involved, who denied any assumptions that she was underage at the time. The woman, posting as @edaphosauruses on Instagram, also revealed she recorded the intimate moments and shared them with a friend without Ellefson's permission, calling herself naïve for doing so.
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"Yes, those video calls did happen, but I was the one to initiate it and never was I underage, I was always a consenting adult. Nothing inappropriate ever happened before that. It was all consensual, I'm not a victim and I have not been groomed in the slightest as I was the one to initiate it," the woman stated.
Ellefson, who has described himself as a committed Christian, has been married to his wife, Julie, for 27 years. The couple share two children, son Roman, 25, and daughter Athena, 22.
The leak comes just one week after Ellefson announced his new video podcast, Backstage with David Ellefson. Megadeth also announced the rescheduled dates of their 2021 tour with Lamb of God while wrapping up their upcoming album.
