The frontman of Kiss reportedly barged in on a staff meeting, unbuttoning his shirt and exposing his torso, before shouting, 'Hey chicks, sue me!'
- Nov 18, 2017
AceShowbiz - It seems like Gene Simmons' outsized personality, outspoken opinion as well as conservative-leaning political views have taken a toll on him. The frontman of KISS is reportedly slapped with a lifetime ban from appearing on Fox News.
The Daily Beast reports that the right-leaning cable channel has had enough of the rock-star, who was born Chaim Witz. It comes after claims that Simmons insulted Fox staffers, taunted them and exposed his chest.
According to a source, the alleged incident occurred when the Israeli-born rocker was appearing on two shows on the network, "Fox and Friends" and "Mornings with Maria", to promote his new book, "On Power". The source further claims that he barged in on a staff meeting, unbuttoning his shirt and exposing his torso. He allegedly shouted, "Hey chicks, sue me!"
In addition, he was said to be whacking a pair of employees on the head with his book as intelligence test. He also allegedly made jokes about Michael Jackson and paedophilia. "It was pretty severe," the source says.
His actions prompted the network to ban the rocker from both the building and further Fox News appearances. On Wednesday, November 15, Simmons's photograph was reportedly posted at the security entrance of the company's headquarters in Manhattan alongside a "Do-Not-Admit" advisory.
During his Wednesday appearance on "Fox and Friends", Simmons was asked to weigh in on recent sexual misconduct scandals against entertainment industry executives and politicians. "Men are jackasses. And from the time we're young, we have testosterone. I'm not validating it or defending it," Simmons opened up. "Guys need to be trained from their very, very young ages from their mothers and their loved ones that half the world's population are female, and they need to be treated with respect."
His on-screen interactions seemingly went well as he appeared to be in high spirits. He jumped off his coach and joined meteorologist Janice Dean to present her weather report.
MUST SEE: @genesimmons helps @JaniceDean with the weather! pic.twitter.com/EFfRQESNuq
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) November 15, 2017
In response to the alleged ban, Simmons says in a statement to Ultimate Classic Rock, "I have appeared frequently over the years on various Fox News and Fox Business programs and have a tremendous amount of respect for the talented women and men who work there." He added, "While I believe that what is being reported is highly exaggerated and misleading, I am sincerely sorry that I unintentionally offended members of the Fox team during my visit."
