For five long years, Deryck Whibley wrestled with a thought that haunted him - the idea of leaving Sum 41, the band that was more family than just a musical group. "I've always wondered, 'Do I have more to offer in life?'" Whibley shared in a candid revelation. Despite these doubts, the love for music and his bandmates kept him anchored.
- Sum 41 split up for good
- Frontman Deryck Whibley has explosive accusations
- THIS is what he claims happened earlier
The Final Album: A Swan Song
It was the completion of their latest album, 'Heaven :x: Hell', that brought clarity to Whibley. A mix of pop-punk and heavier tunes, this double record felt like the perfect closing chapter for Sum 41. "This to me feels like the work is complete now," Whibley reflected, signaling the beginning of the end.
Choosing email as his medium, Whibley took almost a year to craft the perfect message to his bandmates, leading to a "loving and supportive" conversation that underscored the band's deep connections. The public announcement came on May 8, 2023, surprising fans who had no idea that Sum 41's journey was coming to an end
Contrary to Whibley's expectations, the announcement was met with an overwhelming response from fans. Social media was flooded with messages of how Sum 41's music had profoundly impacted their lives. "I found that really touching," Whibley admitted, overwhelmed by the love and stories shared by fans.
But there's more Whibley, claims his former manager "groomed" him and "pressured" him to be in a sexual relationship.
In his new memoir 'Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell', the punk musician claims Greig Nori, frontman of the Canadian band Treble Charger, sexually and verbally abused him over the years. The pair, who shared a "special connection" on a creative level, met when Whibley was 16 and Nori was 34, per 'The Los Angeles Times.'
According to Whibley, he met Nori backstage at a Treble Charger show where Nori gave Whibley his phone number and the "Fat Lip" singer invited him to one of his band's performances. Nori allegedly became a mentor to Whibley and would talk for hours on the phone to him. According to Whibley, Nori gave him and his bandmate Steveo their first drinks, "which were Goldschläger shots."
According to Whibley, Nori allegedly "passionately" kissed him in a bathroom during a night of partying when he was 18. At the time, Whibley was confused and in shock — he had never been attracted to men before. He also claims that Nori tried to convince him that their connection was worth exploring further by pointing out that many rockers were "queer" and that "most people are bisexual; they’re just too afraid to admit it."
It went on and on
"He was so relentless and convincing that after a while, I started to believe that maybe he was right," Whibley writes. While Nori allegedly never experienced same-sex attraction before either, he allegedly said that Whibley "brought it out in him because what we had was so special."
After experimenting with his sexuality for a few months, Whibley wanted to end their physical encounters. However, Nori would allegedly become rageful and call him "homophobic" when he tried to end things.
"He told me this was all my fault to begin with because I should never have said yes to it in the first place. I started this and now he was in it with me so I couldn’t just stop," Whibley writes.
Later, he told his current wife Ariana Cooper, to whom he's been married for 10 years, and had the same reaction. "He groomed you from a young teen and mentally forced you. You said no, you didn’t want to do this anymore, and he told you it had to continue or you would lose everything. That’s psychological, mental, and physical abuse," Whibley claims Cooper said.
Despite the alleged physical encounters ending, Whibley claims that the verbal abuse progressed as he became increasingly jealous of Sum 41's success and tried to pit the band members against one another. In 2004, Sum 41 allegedly fired him.
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As for the future, it's an open book for Whibley. From potentially making more music to exploring new creative avenues like writing for TV, the possibilities are endless. "Once I remove the safety net...that's when it'll appear," he says, optimistic about the next chapter of his life.
