Alex Van Halen has reignited a decades-long feud with former Van Halen bandmate Sammy Hagar, calling him "a complete idiot" in a recent interview. Hagar, in turn, responded on Instagram, stating the comment was "unnecessary."

The latest exchange stems from an interview Alex Van Halen conducted with Brazilian music journalist Marcelo Vieira, published earlier this month. When asked about Hagar's 2011 memoir, Alex Van Halen reportedly said, "I don’t know what he wrote, and I don’t wanna know. In my opinion, Sammy Hagar is a complete idiot." A representative for Alex Van Halen did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hagar responded to the insult via an Instagram comment over the weekend, writing, "This comment and post is so unnecessary at this time in our lives, but I guess the truth hurts sometimes. Peace already."

The two musicians have not spoken in more than 20 years, according to Hagar. This recent jab follows Alex Van Halen's rejection of an invitation to join Hagar and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony for their "Best of All Worlds" tour in 2024, a tour celebrating Hagar's tenure with the band. At the time, Alex Van Halen told Billboard, "I’m not interested. They’re not doing the band justice. They can do what they want to do. That’s not my business."

In his 2024 memoir, "Brothers," Alex Van Halen largely focused on the original lineup of Van Halen featuring David Lee Roth, while largely omitting Hagar's decade with the band. He told Billboard that the band's magic was in the early years, stating, "What happened after Dave left is not the same band."

Hagar, who replaced Roth as lead singer in 1985 and remained until 1996 before rejoining for a 2004 tour, has previously speculated that Alex Van Halen's inability or unwillingness to continue playing drums might be a source of tension. Hagar suggested that Alex might be frustrated that he and Anthony continue to perform Van Halen songs while the drummer is no longer touring.

In an April 2025 interview with Rolling Stone, Hagar stated he and Alex had not spoken in 21 years. He recalled dreaming about Alex and wanting to understand the source of his anger. Hagar posited that Alex might be upset because "I’m out doing it, and Mike [Anthony] and I are out doing it, and he can’t. He’s not a singer. He’s not a guitar player. He is not really a band leader. And he seems like he doesn’t want to play drums or can’t play drums anymore, and he can’t go write a new record."

Hagar added that Alex "wasn’t the songwriter in the band" and that Eddie Van Halen and himself, or Roth and Eddie, wrote the songs. He believes this allows him and Anthony to perform the music, which might bother Alex. "I would feel bad. If I put myself in his shoes, I would feel terrible if I couldn’t do it anymore," Hagar said.

Hagar also claimed that he and Anthony reached out to Alex "a dozen times" about the "Best of All Worlds" tour but received no response.