Zak Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr, has made a shocking claim that he was fired from The Who and asked to lie about his departure from the band.

Earlier this month, The Who announced that Starkey would be leaving the band, but then later retracted the statement, saying that Starkey would remain with the group. However, on May 18, the band once again announced that Starkey would be departing.

In a statement, Pete Townshend, the co-founder and guitarist of the band, wrote that Zak "has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best." However, Starkey took to his Instagram account to share a different perspective on the matter.

"I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endeavors," Starkey wrote. "This would be a lie."

Starkey went on to say that he loves The Who and would never have quit the band. He also clarified that he has always had other projects outside of the band and that it has never interfered with his work with The Who.

Starkey has been the drummer for the band since 1996 and has been a part of many of their tours and projects. He has also had his own indie band, Mantra of the Cosmos.

Earlier this year, Starkey suffered a blood clot in his leg and was forced to cancel a London gig with his indie band. However, he has since recovered and is now "completely healed."

Read more about Zak Starkey's departure from The Who and his statement on the matter here.

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