Alex Van Halen has publicly labeled former bandmate Sammy Hagar a "complete idiot," escalating their long-standing feud. The comments, made during an interview with Brazilian music journalist Marcelo Vieira and published in early May, resurfaced Hagar's decade-long tenure with the band.
Hagar responded to the insult via an Instagram comment over the weekend, stating, "This comment and post is so unnecessary at this time in our lives, but I guess the truth hurts sometimes. Peace already."
The latest exchange comes after years of tension between the musicians, who Hagar claims have not spoken in over two decades. Alex Van Halen previously declined an invitation to join Hagar and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony for their 2024 "Best of All Worlds" tour, which celebrated Hagar's era with the band. At the time, Alex told Billboard that he was "not interested" and that the tour was "not doing the band justice."
In his 2024 memoir, "Brothers," Alex Van Halen primarily focused on the band's original lineup with David Lee Roth, largely omitting Hagar's time with Van Halen. He told Billboard that the "magic was in the first years, when we didn't know what we were doing, when we were willing to try anything," implying that the band's dynamic changed after Roth's initial departure.
Hagar, who replaced Roth as Van Halen's lead singer in 1985 and remained until 1996 before rejoining for a reunion tour in 2004, has speculated that Alex's health and unwillingness to continue playing drums might contribute to the tension. Hagar suggested that Alex may be frustrated by his and Anthony's continued performances of Van Halen songs while the drummer is no longer touring.
In an April interview with Rolling Stone, Hagar recounted a recent dream where he spoke to Alex, attempting to understand his ongoing grievances. Hagar believes Alex's frustration stems from his inability to perform and create new music, while Hagar and Anthony continue to play Van Halen's catalog.
Hagar also stated that he and Anthony had reached out to Alex "a dozen times" about the "Best of All Worlds" tour, but received no response.