Sammy Hagar Responds to Alex Van Halen 'Complete Idiot' Remark

The ongoing war of words between former Van Halen bandmates Alex Van Halen and Sammy Hagar has reignited, with the drummer offering harsh words about the singer and his 2011 autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock.

During a recent interview with the Brazilian magazine Roadie Crew, Alex was asked about the books written by the band’s classic frontmen. While he praised David Lee Roth’s memoir Crazy From the Heart as entertaining and a faithful reflection of Roth’s sense of humor, his assessment of Hagar was entirely different.

“I don’t know what he wrote, and I don’t want to know,” Alex remarked. “In my opinion, Sammy Hagar is a complete idiot.”

Sammy Hagar Urges Peace Amid Renewed Feud

After news of the interview spread online, Hagar took to Instagram to reply underneath a post from Rock Celebrities covering the drummer’s quote.

“This comment and post is so unnecessary at this time in our lives, but I guess the truth hurts sometimes,” Hagar wrote. “Peace already.”

The roots of the friction between the two stretch back to the publication of Hagar’s 2011 book, which reportedly outraged Alex over its depiction of his late brother, Eddie Van Halen, including the guitarist’s struggles with alcoholism and erratic behavior. Hagar has previously expressed regret for those disclosures, but the damage was done.

A History of Failed Reconciliations

Despite the lingering hostility, Hagar has repeatedly attempted to bury the hatchet. In 2024, the singer noted that resolving the feud was on his bucket list, stating that he did not want to take it to his grave and had extended the olive branch multiple times.

Hagar even invited Alex to participate in his Best of All Worlds tour, though the drummer never responded. Tensions escalated further when Alex released his 2025 memoir, Brothers, which completely omitted Hagar’s decade-long era with the band. Hagar blasted the omission as “blasphemy” against Eddie Van Halen’s songwriting legacy.

With peace offers repeatedly ignored and old wounds reopened by fresh public remarks, Hagar’s latest plea suggests that while he is ready to move on, the divide between the former bandmates remains deep.