Late Taylor Hawkins' Friends Take Back Claims Of Problems With Foo Fighters

Taylor Hawkins' friends are setting the record straight about published reports that the late drummer was deeply bothered by Foo Fighters' busy schedule months before his death.

In a Rolling Stone Magazine expose, recently published, two of Hawkins' close friends, Matt Cameron, a Pearl Jam drummer, and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, said the late Foo Fighters member complained to them of how tired he was of the game.

However, Smith and Cameron are now recounting their statement, alleging that Rolling Stone took their comments way out of context.

As The Blast previously covered of the expose, Smith recalled a particularly troubling incident that happened in December 2021 when Hawkins collapsed on board a plane in Chicago while heading to a performance in Abu Dhabi.

Smith said of the incident, "He just said he was exhausted and collapsed, and they had to pump him full of IVs and stuff. He was dehydrated and all kinds of stuff."

The Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer told the publication that following the incident Hawkins told him "I can’t do it like this anymore."

Reps for Foo Fighters refuted all claims of a health scare onboard, calling it false information.

On the other hand, Pearl Jam's Cameron reiterated Smith's claim of Hawkins not being able to continue with the pressure, saying the Texas native even went as far as speaking to Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl about his concerns.

"He [Hawkins] had a heart-to-heart with Dave and, yeah, he told me that he ‘couldn’t fucking do it anymore," Cameron mentioned.

However, despite Hawkins' complaints, it only seemed like the schedule became "crazier" and hectic.

A third friend, Singer Sass Jordan, shared similar sentiments as Cameron and Smith, saying, "Honestly, I think he was just so tired. Tired of the whole game."

An anonymous source alleged that Hawkins wasn't fully aware of the tours he was supposed to do post-pandemic and was under pressure to not disappoint.

Following the aftermath of the release article and the backlash the Foo Fighters — who have continued to remain silent on the issue — Cameron and Smith are telling their truths.

Both drummer friends took to social media to clear the air about their allegations via individual statements.

Cameron wrote, "When I agreed to take part in the Rolling Stone article about Taylor, I assumed it would be a celebration of his life and work. My quotes were taken out of context and shaped into a narrative I had never intended."

He continued, "Taylor was a dear friend and a next level artist. I miss him. I have only the deepest love and respect for Taylor, Dave, and the Foo Fighters families."

The heartwarming statement concluded, "I am truly sorry to have taken part in this interview and I apologize that my participation may have caused harm to those for whom I have only the deepest respect and admiration."

Smith's statement read, "Taylor was one of my best friends and I would do anything for his family."

Accusing the publication of twisting his words, he wrote, "I was asked by Rolling Stone to share some memories of our time together, which I thought was going to be loving tribute he deserved. Instead, the story they wrote was sensationalized and misleading, and had I known I never would have agreed to participate."

Tendering his apology, Smith concluded, "I apologize to his family and musical friends for any pain this may have caused. I miss Taylor everyday."

Rolling Stone is yet to publicly respond to Cameron and Smith's allegations.