Cradle of Filth guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda has responded to the sudden mid-tour departure of his wife, Zoë M. Federoff, who announced her exit on Sunday (24th). Federoff’s initial statement suggested that both she and Ashok had been considering leaving the band together; his newly issued message confirms those discussions and provides further insight into the situation:
“Dear fans and friends,
I ask you to please respect my wife and myself in this transitional period. I am indeed leaving Cradle of Filth at the end of this current tour, and the reasons behind this are conclusions my wife and I came together at long before this week. We simply do not feel like Cradle can provide for our future, and in fact hinders it. Among other reasons it is a lot of work for relatively low pay, the stress is quite high, and we haven’t felt for a while like this band actually prioritizing/caring about members. It has been years of unprofessional behavior from people above us that led to our decision.
I have also asked all compositions of mine removed from upcoming releases including Ed Sheeran collab. This song feels like foolish clown antics for me at this point anyways- first it was charity single for kids, then for profit single, then on next album, and now who knows and I just do not want to be involved anymore, no disrespect to Ed Sheeran.
And meanwhile so many “brilliant” Internet brains trying to speculate on personal affairs between me and Zoe- just stop this, please. We are trying to start new chapter.
And I am going to finish this tour strong! For the fans and for my friends in this band and crew! It is my last ride with Cradle and I am proud to give it my best. I am sad to not share the stage with my wife these last times but I respect why she left and I am happy our friend Kelsey Peters has been given opportunity to shine.
This is all I have to say for now. Leave my wife alone. NEVER insult her or her choices in my presence… or else “
Zoë later shared Ashok’s post on her own social media, adding further detail regarding the apparent salary concerns:
“Please read the statement from Marek Ashok Smerda too. This is our final account of what’s happened and why.
*edit* We make 150/day currently and 25K a year roughly in this band, to clarify the math.”
Cradle of Filth have yet to comment on the matter. However, before the recent departures, Dani Filth shared a positive update hinting at more new music on the horizon. In time, the band will likely address the situation as the story continues to unfold.
Dani Filth shared the below, earlier:
“Filthlings!
It’s been an extremely dramatic week out here on the road in South America, with the sudden departure of Zoe from the band and the sum total a day ago, of eleven hours sleep in four days, due to some very early morning lobby calls and late arrivals back at the hotels.Four amazing shows in Brazil and Argentina thus far (Uruguay today) and as many early check-ins for flights.It certainly has been a whirlwind of chaos amid the circus of delights this first week with a little over a month now stretching like a great cat before us, clawing its way through the dense foliage of South and Central America.Kelsey Peters is certainly filling in well on backing vocals and key duties and the mood in the camp is very upbeat and positive.Not a huge amount of photos to share, seeing as we’ve literally bounced from airport to hotel to club and back again, but it should get a little easier now that we have as many travel days as shows, jet-lag notwithstanding, until the final lengthy run in Mexico.So, thankyou for all your continued support and for not listening to all the bullshit rumours and sickly worms presiding over the internet. Cradle Of Filth ALWAYS come back better and stronger than ever and that will be no different this time when we unleash our new album in the foreseeable future.
Bestial wishes, Dani, Montevideo, Uruguay”
It’s no secret how tough it is to make being a musician a full-time job. Most artists juggle day jobs just to keep things afloat, while only a few manage to make it work long-term. The bleak reality of working within the music industry is a constantly evolving struggle. And when this kind of drama surfaces, especially from a band with such a long history and reputation, it feels like a gut-punch to watch play out.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Jakub Alexandrowicz
