John Lydon will “never forgive” Sex Pistols: “They are special people with special needs”
John Lydon has hit out against his former Sex Pistols once more, insisting he’ll “never forgive” them.
Lydon’s anger towards Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook derives from a lawsuit that he launched against them in 2021, which aimed to prevent Danny Boyle from telling their story in the Disney+ series, Pistol.
Ultimately, Lydon lost the case, and the series went ahead. At the time, Lydon was also caring for his wife, Nora Foster, who was battling Alzheimer’s, and sadly died in 2023.
Now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Lydon has stated that he can’t look past the lawsuit and will never make amends with his former bandmates.
The Public Image Ltd singer said, “I’ll never forgive them for the way that they piled that court case on me while my wife was dying of Alzheimer’s. It was a most unfortunate act on their part, and then using Disney to strip-mine.
He added, “If I didn’t raise, say, $10 million after the first week, the case couldn’t go on. That’s money I could have spent taking care of my lovely Nora. They knew she was ill.”
When asked about a potential reunion, Lydon said in no uncertain terms, “It’s in the minus infinities. The dirt that they unloaded on me in a time where I was in real serious grief. No, I cannot forget about that.”
He also described Pistol as a “mockumentary” before doubling down on his anger about the “really untasteful” legal battle, adding, “So no, I don’t hang out with low-renters.”
In response to being told about remarks by Jones that Sex Pistols could potentially reunite with Lydon one day if the money was right, Lydon replied, “They must be the only fools on the planet that could think that about me. Well, then, they are special people with special needs.”
Lydon also slammed Matlock, saying, “I’ve never liked him” and describing him as “a very unlikeable fellow.”
His latest comments come after last year, Lydon claimed that none of his Sex Pistols bandmates contacted him following his wife’s death, telling The Times, “I expected some kind of connection when Nora died, but nothing.”
Meanwhile, Matlock has also categorically ruled out ever sharing a stage with Lydon again, saying earlier this year, “It’s just not gonna happen.
Intriguingly, both Public Image Ltd and Sex Pistols will both be performing at Riot Fest in Chicago in September, albeit on different days, but it could still make for an uncomfortable morning at the breakfast buffet if they end up in the same hotel…
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