“May have been other issues”: Gene Simmons seemingly suggests there was more to Ace Frehley’s death than “falling down the stairs”

Gene Simmons said the road to Ace Frehley’s death didn’t start with a staircase. In an interview published Dec. 6 by the New York Post, the bassist suggested that substance abuse had played a role in the 74-year-old guitarist’s fatal fall at his home studio in New Jersey, a loss that, he admitted, still hit harder than expected.

“He refused [advice] from people that cared about him – including yours truly – to try to change his lifestyle. In and out of bad decisions. Falling down the stairs — I’m not a doctor — doesn’t kill you. There may have been other issues, and it breaks my heart,” Simmons shared.

Officials in Morris County ruled that Frehley died from a blunt trauma head injury caused by the fall. A toxicology report was still pending. Simmons didn’t soften his view of the choices Frehley made, saying,

“The saddest thing – you reap what you shall sow unfortunately.”

As KISS received national honors, Gene Simmons was haunted by Frehley’s open-casket farewell

Despite a hectic week in Washington, D.C., where Gene Simmons was accepting a Kennedy Center Honor with the remaining members of KISS and preparing to testify in the Senate on radio royalty legislation, he described the moment that stayed with him most: Frehley’s private funeral on Oct. 22.

“It breaks my heart. Peter Criss, our founding drummer, Paul [Stanley] and myself went to the funeral, open casket.”

The final image, he said, was difficult to shake.

“It was just heartbreaking. Saddest of all perhaps is that Ace just couldn’t stay alive long enough to sit there proudly at the Kennedy Center and listen to – I can’t even tell you who’s going to come out … really impressive people, just to say how much KISS meant to them. What can you say – sad.”

Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley respond to Ace Frehley’s death with joint tribute

Ace Frehley’s death prompted Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley to speak publicly, closing a long day of shock with a joint statement that went out to The Hollywood Reporter. The two founding members of Kiss said they were “devastated” by the loss of their original lead guitarist, who helped define the band’s earliest identity.

“I am devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history, he is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy. My thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world,” the statement read.

Gene Simmons later expanded on his grief in a separate message on X.

“Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace’s legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn’t live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!”

Former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick also shared his reaction, posting on Instagram:

“The news of Ace’s passing is devastating to the world of rock. It has deeply effected [sic] me as well. He was one of a kind a truly an iconic guitar player, his undeniable role in the creation and success of KISS cannot be forgotten. Not only was he loved by all, he influenced millions of guitarists around the world. RIP.”

Gene Simmons’ highway crash prompted medical evaluation

Gene Simmons spent much of October grieving the loss of Ace Frehley, but the month had already dealt him a scare of his own. According to Us Weekly on October 9, 2025, citing NBC Los Angeles, the Kiss co-founder had been involved in a traffic incident in Malibu two days earlier.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department reportedly told the outlet that Gene Simmons crashed into a parked car shortly before 1 p.m. on October 7 in the 25000 block of Pacific Coast Highway. After a witness contacted 911, deputies said Gene Simmons told first responders that he had fainted or passed out just moments before the impact.

He was hospitalized following the collision, though his wife, Shannon Tweed, told NBC4 Investigates that he was discharged and recovering at home. Tweed, married to Simmons since 2011, said his doctors had recently adjusted his medications and advised him to drink more water. She also claimed his SUV crossed multiple lanes of traffic and that, as Gene Simmons told her, he had lost consciousness while driving.

Gene Simmons addressed the situation himself on October 9, breaking his silence on X.

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“Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes. I’m completely fine, I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us [who] were horrible drivers. And that’s me. All is well,” he wrote.

In a month marked by loss and close calls, Simmons found himself reminding fans that even rock legends aren’t immune to life’s sudden turns.

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