ZOË FEDEROFF Posts Her Contract With CRADLE OF FILTH, Details How Little She Was Paid

Former Cradle of Filth keyboardist/vocalist Zoë M. Federoff has broken her silence following her sudden mid-tour departure, releasing a blistering statement that lays bare the conditions she and her husband, guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda, say drove them out of the band.

“A further statement on the departure of myself and Ashok from Cradle of Filth and a warning to our successors — READ THE CONTRACT.

“We planned this transition out of Cradle of Filth months ago. Management is dishonest, manipulative, and tries to take money that belongs to us with no contract between us session musicians and him. When I called them out on this attempted theft of album advance money from Screaming of the Valkyries, they called me ‘cancer’ and ‘dead horse’ and threatened to fire me.

“The frontman does nothing to stop them and hides behind them while they belittle and steal. We hold the frontman responsible for hiring this management and never advocating for his team, only himself. Other ex members try to tiptoe around this and only blame management — management works for the frontman.

“He might not get his hands dirty, but in the end, he directs them. The atmosphere he creates is threatening and abusive and constantly exploits us for very low wages yet also demands exclusivity to Cradle‘s schedule. We do not make even the bare cost of living, yet we are told not to tour with other bands to supplement income. It is madness to keep people locked in poverty for the ego of one person.

“We attach the contract they attempted to trap all session members in for a 25% raise (the first raise in 7 years). Our lawyer called it the most psychopathic contract a session musician could ever be handed. We did not sign and made a decision to leave this year instead.

“So — we left because we were being used and paid less than the cost of living, the environment is toxic and threatening… and the toll this was all taking on our lives and our marriage grew too great. The health toll it took on us also led me to miscarry our first pregnancy on tour. We chose to leave to save ourselves and create a better future for our family. Now that we are out — the sun is shining, our family has hope, and we hope every session musician who thinks about joining Cradle reads this contract and talks to a lawyer.

“Good luck to whoever tries to make it work next. And remember — we all know the guy who says all his exes are crazy. Are you sure all of them? Or could the problem be you, 40+ people later? Farewell to the fans and our fellow session members and crew. They were the only part of this that remain good memories.”

Federoff‘s statement arrived just as Cradle of Filth frontman Dani Filth publicly announced the immediate firing of Ashok, despite the guitarist previously saying he would finish the current Latin American tour before stepping away.

“It is with a grave heart that Cradle Of Filth officially announce the firing of guitarist Marek ‘Ashok’ Šmerda from the band, effective immediately,” Dani wrote on August 26. “Despite all attempts to illegally defame and derail the band, Cradle Of Filth WILL NOT cancel any of our South American shows… The rest of the band are cool, even if taken aback, and accusations toward management… are completely unjust and unfounded.”

Hours earlier, Ashok had explained his reasoning for leaving: “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.”

He also revealed he had requested the removal of his compositions from upcoming releases, including the much-publicized Ed Sheeran collaboration, which he described as “foolish clown antics.” Despite his grievances, Ashok vowed to finish his final shows with “strength” for the fans and his crew.

The departures of both Zoë and Ashok have plunged Cradle of Filth‘s Latin American tour into chaos. Temporary replacements have been announced, but the band is currently performing with only one guitarist until backup arrives.

With allegations of financial exploitation, toxic conditions, and now the shocking revelation of a miscarriage while on tour, the controversy has sparked an outpouring of support for the couple — and raised hard questions about the band’s inner workings.

Whether Dani Filth and management will publicly address Zoë‘s damning claims remains to be seen. For now, the “Screaming of the Américas” tour continues under a storm cloud of uncertainty.