CRADLE OF FILTH Fires ASHOK After His Comments About Leaving The Band After Their Current Tour

The chaos surrounding Cradle of Filth‘s ongoing Latin American tour has intensified, as frontman Dani Filth announced on August 26 that the band has fired longtime guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda with immediate effect. The dismissal comes only hours after Ashok himself publicly revealed he intended to leave the band at the conclusion of the tour.

Dani Filth’s Statement

In a post to the band’s official social media channels, Dani addressed the split: “It is with a grave heart that Cradle Of Filth officially announce the firing of guitarist Marek ‘Ashok’ Smerda from the band, effective immediately.

“Despite all attempts to illegally defame and derail the band, Cradle Of Filth WILL NOT cancel any of our South American shows, though fans will have to bear with us being a band with only one guitarist live, that is of course until Ashok‘s temporary replacement is flown out to join the tour in a few days time.

“Thank you for your understanding in this horrible matter, we are all in a state of shock over proceedings and will share our side to these unfortunate events in due course. Please, respect our decision to part with Ashok now rather than at the end of the tour and avoid speculation as more clarity on the situation will be provided.

“The rest of the band are cool, even if taken aback, and accusations toward management, who work very closely with me and the band are completely unjust and unfounded. Patience is a virtue and the truth will always out. Thank you once again fellow Filthlings and we look forward to the rest of ‘The Screaming Of The Américas’ tour here in Uruguay and beyond. Your fiend, Dani.”

Ashok’s Side of the Story

Hours before his dismissal, Ashok had already released a candid statement explaining why both he and his wife, Zoë M. Federoff (who left mid-tour earlier this month), decided to exit the band.

“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.”

Ashok also revealed he had requested all of his compositions be removed from upcoming releases, including the highly publicized collaboration track with Ed Sheeran, calling it “foolish clown antics” that had strayed far from its original intent as a charity single.

Despite his frustrations, Ashok promised fans he would finish the tour “strong” for both the audience and his fellow bandmates and crew.

Zoë Federoff’s Departure and Defense

Zoë, who married Ashok earlier this year, left Cradle Of Filth mid-tour citing “personal reasons.” Dani Filth later confirmed her role had been filled temporarily by singer Kelsey Peters, a member of the band’s CREWDLE fan club initiative.

Facing rampant speculation about her departure, Zoë returned to social media to clarify: “Ashok isn’t cheating. While the turmoil of being in the band has taken its toll on us, we remain very much certain that we love each other. Please be kind to my husband. He is a good man. We were already planning to leave the band later this year. Certain events have sped that up for me.”

Fallout and Uncertainty

With two high-profile member exits — one voluntary and one forced — Cradle Of Filth are scrambling mid-tour, currently performing as a one-guitar band until a replacement is flown in. Dani has promised the band will continue the tour without cancellations, but the situation has left fans divided and speculation rampant.

The public airing of grievances, particularly Ashok‘s accusations of “years of unprofessional behavior” and Dani‘s claims of “illegal defamation,” paints a picture of deeper tensions behind the scenes.