Tommy Vext has issued a video message addressing his split with Bad Wolves. In a nearly 13-minute speech, Vext says that his band was suffering the backlash and cancel culture for his beliefs and conservative views, stating, "I on my own decided to go solo." He has also started a GoFundMe account to help pay for his next album with the goal of collecting $100,000. In just four days, donations were up to almost $93,000.
Vext stated: "Our future was bright, and our trajectory was undeniable, until Covid struck and changed all our lives. I saw things happening that I didn’t understand. During the first quarantine I publicly voiced my concerns about where we are going as a nation and what is happening to America, the country I love.
I voiced my disappointment of protests turning into violent riots. Cities, businesses, lives destroyed 'mostly peacefully.' I criticized the media standing idle and even condoning that behavior. I pointed out that Good causes were infiltrated by bad actors, hijacked and delegitimized a good movement. I dared to question who financially benefits from this and who was funding these events.
I questioned the lockdowns as small businesses were driven into bankruptcy yet big chains were allowed to operate. I questioned the imposed social distancing and why rioting and looting are exempt, or why you can’t have family gatherings or eat at restaurants unless you are a politician. This is a repeated hypocrisy we saw time and again.
And for this they came after me.
Me, an African American artist speaking his mind. I became unacceptable by the gatekeepers because I walked off the plantation. I had to be silenced. Cancel culture came after my band. I was threatened, ridiculed, blackmailed and smear campaigns were launched to destroy my career, my reputation and my livelihood.
These events really opened my eyes, because this was no longer just an urban legend or conspiracy theory, this was literally happening to me. Censorship became very real and I was fighting organized hit job after organized hit job aimed at my character and even my physical freedom.
This is when I realized what I was up against. This is bigger than me. This is when and why I publicly endorsed the sitting President of the United States of America, because I believed he was fighting the same big tech, the same media, the same gatekeepers, the same faceless radicals who wish to destroy our first amendment rights.
But I will not be silenced.
I will not abandon my values and my love for the flag of this country. I will fight for the Constitution. And our freedom of speech, which hopefully now all of you can see is being blatantly violated by big tech.
However, this is my fight. I realize I cannot drag my band members and people around me into this. I on my own decided to go solo. This way, everything I say and do will affect only me. I wish the best for the guys in Bad Wolves, we had some of the best times of my life building a band together, and I love those guys. But you guys know me. And I have to fight back. This is who I am . . ."
Vext also shared that he has recorded more than 37 songs by myself over the past year due to quarantine. Because of that, he incurred a large studio bill, which still needs to be paid off, and will be, thanks to his successful GoFundMe account. He said, "Basically, now that I’m stepping down, I have a massive studio bill that was supposed to be covered by an advance from a record label I no longer have . . ." Vext added, "If we raise enough money I can start my own record label and Merch company. Additionally I can hire an attorney to handle this separation properly . . ."