With Megadeth firing David Ellefson this past Monday (May 24th), rumors have circulated as to who will replace the band’s longtime bassist. One of the names that has been mentioned is Jason Newsted, but the veteran metal musician won’t be joining forces with fellow ex-Metallica member Dave Mustaine.
Newsted does not partake in social media, so he let his wife, Nicole, reveal the news that he won’t be taking over the vacant bassist slot in Megadeth. In an Instagram post, Nicole wrote: “Hi guys! Two things: 1. Jason is not joining Megadeth. Peace to them. Listen to metal.”
She continued, “2. Jason does not have social media accounts; this includes but is not limited to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Onlyfans and Tinder. If you are receiving DMs from the Jason Newsted music account or any other account claiming to be Jason please know this is not Jason, and proceed at your own risk.”
Related Video
The pairing of Newsted and Megadeth frontman Mustaine certainly would have been an interesting one. While they never were in Metallica at the same time, they both were notable members of the metal giants. Mustaine was fired from the band in 1983 for excessive drinking and disruptive behavior, replaced by Kirk Hammett just weeks before the recording of Metallica’s debut album, Kill ‘Em All. His ousting from Metallica is ultimately what led him to form Megadeth.
Newsted, meanwhile, was tasked with replacing the late, great Cliff Burton in Metallica, and ended up holding the role from 1986 through 2001. Along the way, he appeared on four studio LPs, including Metallica’s monster-selling “Black Album”.
Despite never crossing paths in Metallica, Newsted has shared the stage with Mustaine, joining Megadeth to perform the Kill ‘Em All song “Phantom Lord” (co-written by Mustaine) during an August 2013 show on the Gigantour. Newsted’s short-lived eponymous metal band had opened for Megadeth on the package trek.
For now, Megadeth are presumably still in search of a new bassist to fill Ellefson’s slot on the band’s upcoming co-headlining tour with Lamb of God. The outing kicks off August 20th in Austin, Texas, and runs through an October 2nd gig in Quebec City, Canada.
Ellefson was fired from Megadeth after a leaked video showed him engaging in an “embarrassing” online sexual encounter with a young woman. In announcing the bassist’s ousting, Mustaine stated, in part, “While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward.”
A few days later, Ellefson released his own statement, focusing on the potential criminal aspect of the leaked video, stating, “I am working with Scottsdale Police Department in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted this video.”
As chronicled in this timeline, the relationship between Mustaine and Ellefson was “strained” long before the leaked video surfaced earlier this month.
See the news regarding Jason Newsted’s status from his wife, Nicole, in the Instagram post below, followed by Newsted’s aforementioned 2013 performance with Megadeth. Stay tuned as details emerge regarding David Ellefson’s replacement in Megadeth.
