Overview

• Šmerda had posted hours earlier that he intended to leave after the current tour, citing relatively low pay, high stress, and years of what he called unprofessional behavior.
• Keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff, Šmerda’s wife, quit the band a day before his announcement during the South American leg.
• Dani Filth confirmed Šmerda’s immediate dismissal and said accusations toward management were “unjust and unfounded,” calling recent posts attempts to “illegally defame” the band.
• The band says it will play the remaining dates without a second guitarist until a temporary replacement is flown in within days.
• Šmerda requested that his compositions be removed from upcoming releases, including the long-discussed Ed Sheeran collaboration, with the status of that request still developing.