Slipknot has officially ended its nearly three-decade relationship with longtime turntablist and keyboardist Sid Wilson, closing out weeks of confusion over whether he was actually still part of the masked metal band.
The group announced on Aug. 14 that, “Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson,” adding only that it wished him well in his future endeavors. As Just Jared reported, Wilson spent 28 years with Slipknot after joining in 1998.
The wording was definitive, but the path to the announcement was anything but straightforward. Reports that Wilson had been removed first surfaced on July 31, guitarist Jim Root then cautioned fans against believing everything they read, and Wilson himself continued publicly identifying as a member of Slipknot only days before the band’s confirmation.
Slipknot has not publicly explained why the relationship ended.
The Official Statement Finally Ended Weeks of Uncertainty
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Slipknot’s initial Aug. 14 announcement appeared on the band’s social media accounts before being removed a short time later, briefly adding yet another layer of uncertainty to a story that had already produced conflicting signals.
The same statement then appeared through Knotfest, putting the band’s position beyond doubt. The Knotfest announcement says Wilson’s tenure as Slipknot’s #0 has ended and notes that he contributed to all seven of the group’s studio albums, beginning with the 1999 self-titled debut and continuing through 2022’s The End, So Far.
TMZ initially reported the deleted post while questioning what its removal meant, but updated its story after the statement was republished through Knotfest’s Instagram account.
Wilson Had Just Introduced Himself as ‘From the World Famous Slipknot’
While co-hosting the World Scratch Invitational, he took the microphone and introduced himself as “Sid, DJ Starscream/#0, from the world famous Slipknot.” ThePRP highlighted the introduction on Aug. 12, just two days before Slipknot made the separation official.
Root had contributed to the uncertainty after the original July 31 report. Without naming Wilson, the guitarist urged followers not to “believe everything you read” and suggested waiting until more information became available. After Slipknot’s announcement, Root addressed his earlier reaction in a comment that circulated among fans.
“At the time I wrote it… I didn’t know what to believe,” he said, adding that he still stood by the broader advice not to accept everything people read without question. Root then conceded that events had overtaken his post: “Time will tell. As it did for my post that didn’t age well.”
Slipknot Still Hasn’t Said Why Wilson Is Gone
TMZ reported on Aug. 3 that sources with direct knowledge attributed Wilson’s removal to his behavior toward his bandmates and claimed the decision had been developing for some time. The band’s official announcement contains no disciplinary explanation or description of what happened behind the scenes.
Wilson initially offered no direct public statement about the announcement, but his social media profile has since supplied a quiet acknowledgment that his time in Slipknot is over. On Aug. 16, ThePRP reported that Wilson had changed his Instagram bio to read “@slipknot 1997-2026”.
Wilson’s #0 Era Stretched Back to Slipknot’s Breakthrough
Wilson joined Slipknot in 1998, shortly before the sessions that produced the band’s 1999 self-titled major-label debut, and became one of the nine musicians associated with its breakthrough-era lineup.
His turntables, samples, keyboards and electronic effects became part of a sound that mixed metal with hip-hop, electronic music and abrasive noise. Knotfest credits him with contributing to each of Slipknot’s seven studio albums through The End, So Far.
Wilson was also one of the group’s most unpredictable live performers, building a reputation for stage dives and physically chaotic performances. Away from Slipknot, he has recorded and performed as DJ Starscream and pursued electronic and hip-hop projects of his own.