Few bands have been reshaped as publicly and as frequently as the nine-masked figures from Des Moines.
On Friday, July 31, TMZ reported that Sid Wilson, Slipknot's longtime DJ and turntablist known as #0, had been permanently removed from the group. A source described as close to the band and with direct knowledge told the outlet that Wilson was notified late that afternoon. No reason for the reported split was provided.
That single TMZ report is, as of now, the entirety of the public record. Slipknot has not issued an official statement, and Wilson has not publicly commented. There has been no confirmation from management, no follow-up from Wilson's own channels, and no on-the-record response from any band representative.
What did surface, hours later, was an Instagram Story from guitarist Jim Root. Root wrote: "Don't believe everything you read. Stop. Think. Take a breath. Sit with it for awhile. Maybe. Just maybe even wait until there's more information." He did not mention Wilson by name, though the timing prompted widespread fan speculation that the message was a direct response to the TMZ story. NME noted the post was soundtracked by Slipknot's Til We Die.
Root's words stop well short of a denial. They also stop short of a confirmation. The ambiguity is the point, and it's worth sitting with before concluding either way.
Wilson, a native of Des Moines, joined Slipknot as its turntablist in 1998, arriving just in time to record the band's 1999 self-titled debut. Designated #0, he produced sound effects and background textures for the group's music. His scratching and frenetic stage energy became inseparable from the band's identity across seven studio albums and decades of touring. In 2008, he famously broke both of his heels during a show and still finished the set.
If the reports prove accurate, Wilson would be the latest in a long and unsettling pattern. Recent years have brought the departures of drummer Jay Weinberg and keyboardist/sampler Craig Jones in 2023, as well as the dismissal of percussionist Chris Fehn over a royalty dispute in 2019. Bassist Paul Gray died in 2010 from an accidental overdose; drummer Joey Jordison passed away in 2021. Of the classic nine, only four remain in the current lineup.
Wilson's personal life has also shifted considerably in recent months. He proposed to Kelly Osbourne during the Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath farewell concert on July 5, 2025. By March 2026, however, the couple had split, ending their engagement during what sources described as an incredibly difficult period for Osbourne following the loss of her father. Wilson, meanwhile, launched his own label, Vomit Face Records, earlier this year.
Slipknot has been off the road for more than a year and has quietly been working on new material. The timing of this reported shake-up lands right as a fresh chapter seemed to be taking shape. Whether that chapter still includes Wilson is something only an official statement can resolve.
For now, the verifiable facts are narrow. One TMZ report based on a single anonymous source. One cryptic social media post from a bandmate urging patience. And complete public silence from Wilson himself.
Root had the right idea. Wait.
Check topics and authors from this story to see more stories like this in your personalized feed and receive updates when new work is published.
