The punk rock world has been shaken by shocking revelations from Sum 41’s lead singer, Deryck Whibley.
In his explosive new memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell, the frontman claims he was sexually abused for years by the band’s former manager, Greig Nori.
Whibley, 44, alleges that the abuse began when he was just a teenager, with Nori—who was then the lead singer of a Canadian indie band—mentoring Whibley before taking over as Sum 41’s manager.
In a candid interview with the Los Angeles Times, Whibley confessed that he hid the traumatic experience from his bandmates for years, keeping it a secret that nearly consumed him.
The memoir, released this Tuesday, dives deep into the highs and lows of the band’s early days in Toronto and their meteoric rise to international fame.
Sum 41, formed in 1996, became one of the most successful punk bands of the 2000s, selling over 15 million albums worldwide.
But behind the scenes, Whibley claims, there was a dark undercurrent.
Whibley recalls in the memoir how a rave in Toronto became the moment that changed everything.
According to Whibley, Nori unexpectedly kissed him in a bathroom stall, leaving the then 18-year-old singer confused and reeling.
Whibley, who admits he was high on ecstasy at the time, says that this marked the beginning of a coercive sexual relationship that lasted four years.
“Greig kept pushing for things to happen when we were together,” Whibley writes, adding that he often felt pressured to go along with Nori’s advances despite his discomfort.
The physical abuse may have ended, but Whibley alleges the emotional manipulation continued, shaping his life and career in ways he never imagined.
Perhaps the most striking revelation is that Whibley shared this harrowing chapter of his life with his then-wife, Canadian pop icon Avril Lavigne.
“That’s abuse! He sexually abused you,” Lavigne allegedly told Whibley, helping him recognize the gravity of what had happened.
Sum 41 parted ways with Nori as their manager in 2005, but Whibley admits he thought he’d take this painful secret to his grave.
However, the weight of the past made it impossible for him to tell the band’s story without confronting his trauma.
Nori, now facing serious accusations, has called Whibley’s claims “false allegations” and has reportedly hired a defamation lawyer.
The BBC reached out for comment, but Nori has remained tight-lipped beyond his initial denial.
Whibley, who chose not to warn Nori about the allegations before publishing the memoir, wrestled with the decision.
“Why do I want to tell him? Because I feel like I’m supposed to? Because he still has this thing over me?” Whibley told the LA Times, revealing the lasting psychological hold the relationship had over him.
Sum 41, who recently announced their farewell tour after nearly three decades together, are set to disband, closing a chapter in punk history—one filled with both music triumphs and personal battles.
Whibley’s memoir is certain to leave fans and the music industry reflecting on the hidden struggles behind the public persona of a rock star.
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