Ex-Offspring drummer Pete Parada not too long ago sat down for an interview with the podcast “Attempt That In a Small City,” throughout which he recalled his 2021 exit from the band after he refused to get vaccinated.
Parada beforehand revealed he was identified with Guillain-Barre syndrome as a baby and says that his physician suggested towards getting the shot due to his situation, which he claims causes him issues like short-term paralysis.
Recalling a cellphone name he had with The Offspring’s supervisor about how his time with the band got here to an finish, Parada mentioned:
“He was new with the band. He’d solely been with them since Covid hit. So I didn’t have lots of historical past with this man. He selected to return at me like a flamethrower. I’ve gotten crappy cellphone calls earlier than, this was probably the most abusive and threatening name I’ve ever had in my total profession.”
“He simply principally laid it out. I attempted to say, ‘Oh, you already know, I’ve received a medical exemption.’ ‘I don’t care about your medical exemption.’ Simply yelling, chopping me off. It wasn’t a dialog, attempting to inform me that for the better good, everybody’s received to do that. I’m identical to, ‘That’s not a ok purpose for me, you’re not making an argument, you’re simply making threats and yelling at me.’ He made it clear that I used to be both to get vaccinated or I’d get replaced.”
“The cellphone name was so stunning. So I wrote to the 2 guys within the band that have been my boss. I laid out the cellphone name and the way I didn’t recognize it and [said], ‘Right here’s all of the explanation why I don’t wish to do that and why I’m not in a position to do that.’ It didn’t matter. I attempted to speak to them about him and I mentioned, ‘You would possibly fireplace me over this however it is best to know, this man isn’t representing you nicely and if he’s treating me like this, he’s treating your crew even worse.’”
“…I used to be advised, ‘That’s not the priority proper now, he’s not the priority, your refusal to do that is the priority.’ So issues deteriorated fairly quickly after that and fewer than every week later I discovered all communication stopped. I had a flight and a lodge and stuff on maintain to go to rehearsal, and every week later, I checked my Southwest app and that’s how I came upon I used to be changed as a result of my flight was canceled.”
In August 2021, when The Offspring introduced his departure after being with the band for practically 15 years, Parada posted a press release to Instagram:
“Given my private medical historical past and the side-effect profile of those jabs, my physician has suggested me to not get a shot right now. I caught the virus over a 12 months in the past, it was gentle for me – so I’m assured I’d be capable of deal with it once more, however I’m not so sure I’d survive one other post-vaccination spherical of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which dates again to my childhood and has advanced to be progressively worse over my lifetime. Sadly for me, (and my household – who’s hoping to maintain me round a bit longer) the dangers far outweigh the advantages.
“Since I’m unable to adjust to what’s more and more turning into an business mandate – it has not too long ago been determined that I’m unsafe to be round, within the studio, and on tour. I point out this since you gained’t be seeing me at these upcoming exhibits.”
