Tom DeLonge is no longer part of Blink-182—or at least that’s what reports going around the Internet Monday afternoon claimed. But, according to him, that’s not true. “I never quit the band,” DeLonge said in a statement emailed to EW by his representative.
“Actually, I was on the phone discussing a possible Blink-182 event in New York City when I heard the ‘news,’” he said. “The ONLY truth here is that I have commitments that limit my availability this year. I love Blink-182 and I’m not leaving.”
Reports that DeLonge left the band surfaced soon after the Musink Festival lineup was announced. Blink-182 is headlining the festival with some help from Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, a note that caused some to think Skiba’s presence meant DeLonge was done with the band.
DeLonge also addressed the rumors on his Instagram, where he wrote a variation on the previously mentioned statement with some added commentary: “Are we dysfunctional – yes. But, Christ…. #Awkward #BabyBackRibs.”
The rest of the trio haven’t said anything explicitly about the reports, but Mark Hoppus did tweet “blink-182 life. For life” Monday afternoon.
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