KISS Rocker Paul Stanley Felt 'Betrayed' by Bandmate Gene Simmons in the 80s

Published: June 18, 2025

KISS rocker Paul Stanley has opened up about feeling "betrayed" by his bandmate Gene Simmons in the 1980s. In a recent interview on Billy Corgan's podcast, The Magnificent Others," Stanley revealed that Simmons' pursuit of an acting career while the band was working on their album "Asylum" left him feeling resentful and hurt.

"I felt betrayed. No secret, I felt that he was leaving me to do the heavy work but continued to get paid, so, you know, trying to have the best of both worlds," Stanley said. "Go off and do your own thing and have the success at any level that there was success, and the monetary compensation, which I'm not sharing in, but you're abandoning ship and you're still my partner."

Feeling Abandoned

Stanley, 73, felt that Simmons, 75, was "leaving him to do the heavy work" while Simmons was pursuing other projects, including an acting career, which made Stanley feel like he was "selling the band short." He added that he felt Simmons wasn't playing fair, which led to a sense of betrayal.

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in August 2022 in Australia.

A Rough Patch in the 80s

In his 2014 memoir, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed," he lamented the times Simmons would show up to the studio "exhausted" while the group was working on their 1985 album "Asylum" after "being up all night with some third-rate band he was producing." He wrote that when he told Simmons he felt betrayed, the rocker responded, "Well, you can go do things, too," though Stanley felt a responsibility to keep KISS active and thriving.

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley perform in February 2019 in Inglewood, Calif.

KISS retired from touring in December 2023 after one final show at Madison Square Garden. In March, the band announced they'll be performing an unmasked set in Las Vegas as part of the three-day KISS Army Storms Vegas event in November.