John Lydon says he will never forgive his Sex Pistols badmates

The relationship between John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) and his former Sex Pistols bandmates has been strained since the band’s formation in the 1970s. That’s one of the main reasons the original lineup recorded only one studio album and reunited only a handful of times, most recently in 2007.

However, things deteriorated even further after the release of the TV series Pistol, directed by Danny Boyle and based on Steve Jones’ memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol. Lydon tried to prevent Sex Pistols songs from being used in the series, but he lost the case in court. The music was ultimately featured in the show, and since 2024 the remaining members have reunited under the Sex Pistols name, touring with guest vocalist Frank Carter. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lydon said he will never forgive them.

John Lydon says he will never forgive his Sex Pistols badmates

“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 me… 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.”

After being asked which were the odds of rejoining the band, he said: “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. (They reached out after her death?) Nope. Yes, there was no respect. And to try to put together what I call a mockumentary about the Pistols, and for three years, deliberately not tell me a word, not share any of this with me, and not consider that I might have an opinion on this and then to force that into the law courts, that was really, really untasteful. So no, I don’t hang out with low-renters,” John Lydon said.

Steve Jones said last year that he hasn’t talk to Lydon since 2008. “We don’t talk. The last time I spoke to him was 2008. But I wish him all the best. I really do. We had a great time when we were young, and it was life-changing for all of us. But after the court case with Pistol it wasn’t even worth asking John (about the reunion). I don’t think he was interested.” Besides Steve Jones, the reunion also has the bassist Glenn Matlock, the drummer Paul Cook and the new singer Frank Carter.