When the leaked surfaces there were allegations that the woman may be underage and Ellefson was "grooming" her, but the bassist released a statement denying the allegations and shared a statement from the woman stating that she was not underage and that she initiated the conversations. Read both statements here.

 

Frontman Dave Mustaine had the following to say about their decision to let David go, "We are informing our fans that David Ellefson is no longer playing with Megadeth and that we are officially parting ways with him. We do not take this decision lightly.

 

"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.

 

"We look forward to seeing our fans on the road this summer, and we cannot wait to share our brand new music with the world. It is almost complete. Dave Mustaine Megadeth May 24th, 2021".