What happened with Sammy Hagar and Alex Van Halen? Feud explored as singer responds to Van Halen drummer  calling him an “idiot”

Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar has responded after drummer Alex Van Halen called him a “complete idiot.”

Halen made the comment during an interview with Brazilian music journalist Marcelo Vieira while discussing his memoir Brothers. When asked about Hagar's 2011 autobiography Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, he said:

“I don't know what he wrote, and I don't wanna know. In my opinion, Sammy Hagar is a complete idiot.”

Hagar responded to Halen’s comment posted by the Instagram account Rock Celebrities, calling it “unnecessary” at this time in their lives (both are in their 70s) and flipped the insult back in a subtle way, saying “the truth hurts sometimes.”

The bad blood between Sammy Hagar and Alex Van Halen stems from several issues dating back to their past controversies. Halen was reported to be deeply offended by Hagar’s 2011 memoir, where he shared struggles of Halen’s brother, Eddie Van Halen, with alcoholism among other things.

Feud between Sammy Hagar and Alex Van Halen explored

The feud between Sammy Hagar and Alex Van Halen has simmered for decades and centers on several issues. Both artists have been estranged for over two decades.

There has been an ongoing feud between the former bandmates which has fractured their ties. They have not spoken to each other in more than 21 years. Halen recently reignited the tension during an interview with Brazilian rock magazine Roadie Crew when he called Hagar “a complete idiot.”

In his 2011 book, Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock, Sammy Hagar shared the darker and more erratic periods of Eddie Van Halen's life, which offended Alex Van Halen by how his late brother was portrayed, and he refused to engage with the book.

While writing his 2024 memoir Brothers, Halen ignored his “Van Halen” years and focused on the David Lee Roth era. Sammy Hagar slammed Halen’s decision to omit the entire band’s era from his memoir as “blasphemy” against the legacy of the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

Sammy Hagar joined Van Halen in July 1985, replacing the band’s frontman, David Lee Roth. It happened after the band’s guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who was a fan of Hagar’s former band, Montrose, called Hagar following their encounter at a mutual car mechanic. The phone call led to an impromptu jam session, leading Hagar to join the group.

Besides Eddie, the other members of the band were drummer Alex and bassist Michael Anthony. Their friendship led to the release of their first album, 5150, in March 1986. It was the band’s seventh studio album. Hagar fronted Van Halen as their second lead singer from 1985 to 1996 and again between 2003 and 2005.

In 1996, Sammy Hagar decided to leave the band due to mounting tensions and managerial conflicts. After the death of their longtime manager Ed Leffler, replacement manager Ray Daniels reportedly created friction in the band. Hagar stated that the new management caused division by telling Eddie Van Halen that Hagar thought “it's his band.”

On the other hand, there were also some creative clashes, as Hagar claimed whatever he suggested was opposed. Also, after the tour, Hagar wanted time off with his newborn daughter while the Van Halen brothers wanted to keep performing. Hagar rejoined in 2004 for a reunion tour, but it quickly turned into a “mess.” He left in late 2004, attributing it to Eddie’s struggles with substance abuse issues, which impacted his performances onstage, and the members frequently traveled and stayed separately.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Sammy Hagar said that he believes that the biggest reason for the bad blood between him and drummer Alex Van Halen is that he is not able to perform. He said:

“I think Al’s angry because I’m out doing it, Mike and I are out doing it and he can’t. He’s not a singer. He’s not a guitar player. He is not really a band leader. And he seems like he doesn’t want to play drums or can’t play drums anymore, and he can’t go write a new record.”

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Speaking about his 2011 memoir Red, Hagar added that he believes that the book was “honest” and described Eddie as a “mess” on their tour. He concluded, saying, “just water under the bridge.”

According to a report in Parade, during a February 2026 appearance on the Rock of Nations radio show, Hagar revealed that he and Anthony are still actively performing the band's catalogue. However, they have been excluded from Alex’s archival project, which he has been developing from unfinished Van Halen recordings.

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