Slipknot Cuts Ties with Sid Wilson After 28 Years as Band Says Split Is ‘Effective Immediately’

Slipknot has officially ended its nearly three-decade relationship with longtime DJ and keyboardist Sid Wilson, bringing one of the band’s longest-running partnerships to an abrupt close.

On Friday, August 14, the influential nu metal group announced that Wilson, 49, would no longer be associated with Slipknot, confirming weeks of speculation surrounding his status in the band.

“Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson,” the group said in a brief statement. “We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

The announcement was shared through the official Instagram account for Knotfest, Slipknot’s music festival and media platform.

The Knotfest account added in its caption, “Slipknot have parted ways with Sid Wilson. The announcement could briefly be found on the band’s website.”

According to a screenshot shared by Stereogum, the same statement also appeared on Slipknot’s official social media account before it was subsequently deleted.

A representative for the band did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment on Saturday, August 15.

The concise wording of the announcement offered no explanation for why Wilson and Slipknot had separated after 28 years together, leaving fans with one major unanswered question: what happened behind the scenes?

Reports of Wilson’s Exit Emerged Weeks Earlier

The official statement came a little more than two weeks after reports first surfaced that Wilson had been removed from the band.

On July 31, TMZ reported that Wilson had been permanently kicked out of Slipknot, citing a source close to the group who reportedly had direct knowledge of the situation.

At the time, however, the outlet said the circumstances behind the decision were unclear.

Neither Slipknot nor Wilson immediately confirmed the report, which created considerable uncertainty among fans.

Adding to the confusion, guitarist James “Jim” Root posted a cryptic message on Instagram Stories the same day that appeared to caution people against accepting the reports as definitive.

“Don’t believe everything you read,” Root, 54, wrote.

The message was accompanied by Slipknot’s 2008 song “’Til We Die.”

Root continued by urging fans not to rush to conclusions.

“Stop. Think. Take a breath. Sit with it for awhile. Maybe. Just maybe even wait until there’s more information.”

At the time, the post was widely interpreted as a response to the reports that Wilson had been fired.

The Aug. 14 announcement has now confirmed that Wilson is indeed no longer part of Slipknot, although the band still has not publicly explained why the separation occurred.

Sid Wilson Joined Slipknot Before Its Breakthrough

Wilson had been associated with Slipknot since 1998, joining shortly before the release of the band’s landmark self-titled debut album.

Over the next 28 years, he became one of the most recognizable members of the group.

Known professionally as DJ Starscream, Wilson contributed turntables, samples, keyboards and electronic elements that became an important part of Slipknot’s aggressive and experimental sound.

His stage presence was equally distinctive.

Like the other members of Slipknot, Wilson became known for performing in masks and elaborate costumes, while his chaotic live performances often included dramatic jumps, physical stunts and intense interaction with the audience.

During the band’s early years, Slipknot became known not only for its heavy music but also for its unusually large lineup.

The group combined traditional metal instrumentation with percussion, samples, turntables and electronic textures, creating a dense sound that helped distinguish it from many other heavy bands emerging at the end of the 1990s.

Wilson remained part of that identity through multiple eras of the band’s history.

Nearly Three Decades of Slipknot History

Wilson performed on a number of Slipknot’s major albums and took part in the band’s rise from the Iowa underground scene to international fame.

The group’s 1999 self-titled album introduced Slipknot to a global audience and was followed by the darker and more aggressive Iowa in 2001.

Later releases such as Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), All Hope Is Gone, .5: The Gray Chapter, We Are Not Your Kind and The End, So Far further expanded the band’s international following.

Over the years, Slipknot became one of the defining acts of modern heavy music, combining elements of nu metal, alternative metal, industrial music and extreme metal.

Wilson was present through much of that evolution.

He also experienced major changes within the group as Slipknot lost or separated from several longtime members.

Bassist Paul Gray, one of the band’s founding members, died in 2010.

Drummer Joey Jordison, another founding member, departed the group in 2013 and later died in 2021.

More recently, drummer Jay Weinberg, who had joined Slipknot following Jordison’s departure, left the band in 2023.

Keyboardist and sampler Craig Jones also exited the group after decades of involvement.

Wilson’s departure therefore represents another significant shift in a lineup that has undergone major changes over the years.

His Last Slipknot Performance Came in 2025

Before the Aug. 14 announcement, Wilson had most recently performed with Slipknot at Inkcarceration, a music and tattoo festival in Ohio, in July 2025.

There had been no public indication at that appearance that his time in the band was approaching its end.

As of the official announcement, Slipknot’s current core lineup still includes singer Corey Taylor, guitarist Mick Thomson, percussionist and founding member Shawn “Clown” Crahan, and guitarist Jim Root.

None of those members had publicly issued detailed statements about Wilson’s departure immediately following the announcement.

Wilson himself had also not publicly provided an explanation for the split in the material reported by PEOPLE.

That silence has left the reasons for the breakup uncertain.

The unusually short language used by the band — particularly the phrase “effective immediately” — has nevertheless drawn considerable attention.

It suggests that the separation was finalized without a long public transition period.

Departure Comes During Difficult Personal Period

Wilson’s exit from Slipknot also comes during a turbulent period in his personal life.

Only days before the band publicly confirmed his departure, PEOPLE reported that Wilson and Kelly Osbourne had ended their engagement.

Wilson and Osbourne, 41, first began dating in January 2022.

Their connection, however, went back much further because Kelly’s father, Ozzy Osbourne, had known Slipknot through the heavy-metal world for years.

Wilson and Kelly eventually became engaged more than three years after their romantic relationship began.

The proposal took place during Ozzy Osbourne’s final concert before his death at the age of 76.

The moment appeared to represent a major milestone for Wilson and Kelly, but their relationship later encountered difficulties.

The former couple share a son, Sidney, who is 3 years old.

Wilson and Kelly Osbourne Had Been Struggling for Months

In early August, a source told PEOPLE that Wilson and Osbourne had separated after going through a difficult period for several months.

“There is no secret that she’s not happy with him. They’ve had a lot of back and forth,” the insider said.

“They’re not together right now.”

The problems were apparently not entirely unexpected.

Months earlier, in March, another source told PEOPLE that Wilson and Osbourne were navigating strain in their relationship.

Their eventual split therefore followed an extended period of reported tension rather than a sudden breakup.

The timing, however, means Wilson has now faced two major changes within a very short period: the end of his engagement and the official end of his 28-year tenure in Slipknot.

Slipknot Has Not Explained What Comes Next

For now, neither Wilson nor Slipknot has publicly provided a detailed account of what caused the separation.

The band has also not announced whether another musician will permanently replace Wilson or whether Slipknot will restructure his role within future performances.

His responsibilities inside the group were highly specific.

Wilson helped provide electronic textures, scratching, sampling and other sound effects that contributed significantly to Slipknot’s sonic identity, particularly during live performances.

Replacing that function could therefore require either a new member, touring musician or technological adjustment.

Slipknot has previously demonstrated that it is willing to continue after major personnel changes, however.

Throughout the group’s history, new musicians have joined after the deaths or departures of established members, allowing Slipknot to maintain its touring and recording activity.

Whether Wilson’s departure will lead to another permanent addition remains unclear.

An Era Ends After 28 Years

Whatever circumstances ultimately emerge, Sid Wilson’s separation marks the end of one of Slipknot’s longest-running musical relationships.

Joining in 1998, he became part of the lineup just before the band entered the international spotlight.

He remained through enormous commercial success, lineup changes, personal tragedies and multiple generations of Slipknot fans.

His masks, turntables and unpredictable stage presence became part of the band’s visual and musical identity.

That makes the brevity of Slipknot’s farewell particularly striking.

After almost three decades together, the group’s public message consisted of only a few sentences.

“Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson,” the statement said.

“We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

For fans, the announcement confirms Wilson’s departure but leaves the most important details unanswered.

What caused the split, whether tensions had been building behind the scenes and what Wilson plans to do next have not yet been publicly explained.

But one point is now official: after 28 years as one of Slipknot’s most recognizable members, Sid Wilson’s era with the band has come to an end.