10 More Bands RUINED by One Disgraced Member

Arcade Fire

Win Butler

Indie legends Arcade Fire have released a string of highly influential albums since the 2000s. The singing-songwriting couple of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne were responsible for a lot of the charm that endeared the fans. However, in 2022, five different women accused Butler of misconduct, namely through assaults that happened after initial contact through social media. It became clear that all was not well within the band. Butler denied the accusations, saying everything was consensual. And while his wife supported these statements, it left a very bad taste in everyones mouth. When their album Pink Elephant" came out in 2025, it was a commercial and critical flop.

Brand New

Jesse Lacey

Emo rockers Brand New released some of the most popular and acclaimed works of their era. Despite the success of the music, in 2017, the band broke up after a number of allegations came out about singer Jesse Lacey specifically in relation to underage girls. Lacey released a statement admitting that he suffered from vices, but made no reference to the age of the girls in question. In 2025, when Brand New attempted a comeback, another woman claimed that she was half Laceys age when he groomed her, once again putting the frontmans activities under the spotlight. These days, its hard to think about Brand New at all without this all coming to mind.

Noir Désir

Bertrand Cantat

The band Noir Désir might not be too well-known to those of you outside of France, but their singer Bertrand Cantat is one of the most infamous musical figures of his era. The band were a huge sensation in their home country, boasting a string of hits and legions of fans. But in 2003, Cantat flew into a jealous rage and brutally beat his then-girlfriend, actress Marie Trintignant. She died in the hospital a few days later, landing Cantat an eight-year prison sentence. He served just four of those years and briefly attempted a comeback, but was petitioned out of any further live performances he tried to book.

Crystal Castles

Ethan Keith

Canadian synth-pop duo Crystal Castles had a successful run of albums in the late 2000s and 2010s, before Alice Glass abruptly announced that she was leaving the group in 2014. At the time, she cited personal and professional issues. But three years later, she revealed that creative partner Ethan Kath was nothing less than an emotionally abusive control freak who abused her in many different ways. He supposedly controlled her phone, passport and credit card, while threatening that he would replace her in an instant if she quit. It didnt take long for several other women to come forth, accusing Kath of preying on them when they were teenagers.

Limp Bizkit

Fred Durst

No band sums up the nu metal scene of the 90s and 2000s quite like Limp Bizkit, specifically frontman Fred Durst. Though the band actually are solid musicians, when they come to play, it is clearly the Fred Durst show. He was the biggest star on stage, but in the bands peak years, his ego was out of control. It was as if your least favourite high school jock was given a microphone and an audience. Durst marketed the band based on how unlikable he was. And sure, while the group have now fully embraced the tongue-in-cheek side of their appeal these days, Dursts reputation remains the same.

The Smiths

Morrissey

As soon as The Smiths come up in conversation, two things are bound to pop into someone's head. One is that the legendary band was a tremendous influence on indie pop, and that frontman Morrissey is insufferable. He has always been a prickly character for his narcissistic, outrageous, and sometimes confrontational appearance in the media. While this was traditionally a part of his left-wing activism, he may be more infamous now for supporting British nationalism. Morrissey is such a walking, talking controversy machine that even though The Smiths broke up in 1987, their legacy is still blemished by the frontmans recent antics.

Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson was always a guy who wanted to push the limits of what is acceptable in music and live performance. In other words, hes a pretty edgy dude. But as much as the lead singer of his namesake band seemed to openly enjoy the controversy, when more than a dozen women came out and accused him of assault, public opinion started to change. One of these women was actress and former fiancée Evan Rachel Wood. Eventually, Manson was dealing with a host of allegations that included assault, domestic violence, intimidation, and even anti-semitism. In the end, no charges were formally filed, but his reputation never fully recovered.

Guns N Roses

Axl Rose

There's no denying that Guns N Roses are hard rock and heavy metal legends. But the fact remains that their lead singer Axl Rose can be a real pain to work with. Not only is he a legendary diva, who routinely shows up incredibly late for shows, but he has also engaged in multiple feuds and written some pretty problematic lyrics. Its no surprise that Rose is the only constant member of the band since they started. Even GNRs biggest fans know that Axl is not the type of guy youd want to invite over for dinner. But hey, at least the songs are good.

Ike & Tina Turner

Ike Turner

Ike and Tina Turner were a legendary husband-and-wife musical duo that achieved a string of hits across multiple decades. They were often singled out as one of the best acts of their era. But behind the scenes, Turner was suffering serious emotional and physical abuse at the hands of Ike. Aggressive behaviour, often fuelled by substance use disorder, eventually led to a divorce in 1976. The revelations instantly changed the way that people looked at Ike and his old records. But thankfully, it turns out that Tina was a lot better off without his connections. She achieved one of the greatest career comebacks in music history in the 1980s, with a huge run of solo hits.

The Sex Pistols

Sid Vicious

The Sex Pistols were marketed based on the raw chaos and disorder that surrounded them. But when Sid Vicious joined the band, things changed. Sure, the bassist was seen as a punk pioneer who had a huge hand in popularizing the genre. But when the band dissolved and his relationship with his girlfriend Nancy Spungen became unhinged, things got very dark. Vicious and Spungens substance use and intense outbursts eventually led to Vicious fatally stabbing Spungen. Nobody knows for sure what happened on that night, but Vicious would die of an overdose four months later. Listening to the Sex Pistols is near-impossible without thinking of this tragic tale.

Are there any other big examples of scandalized bands that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.