The bassist told sheriff’s deputies he may have fainted or passed out while driving in Malibu
Kiss’ Gene Simmons is recovering at home after crashing into a parked car while driving in Malibu Tuesday, Oct. 7.
According to NBC 4 Los Angeles, the accident occurred before 1 p.m. local time on a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. Simmons reportedly told deputies from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department that he passed out or fainted while driving a Lincoln Navigator. His wife, Shannon Tweed, said the car passed through several lanes of traffic before hitting the parked vehicle.
Tweed said that Simmons was taken to the hospital to be checked out, and then sent home to continue his recovery. She suggested the incident may have been tied to a recent change in Simmons’ medication, and his need to drink more water (which he apparently doesn’t like to do).
Simmons also reportedly shared a voicemail with NBC 4 in which he said he was doing fine. A rep for Simmons echoed the sentiment, telling Rolling Stone, “Mr. Simmons is totally fine from this minor fender bender.”
Simmons does have a busy few months coming up. In November, there will be a Kiss reunion of sorts when Simmons, Paul Stanley, and “special guests” perform an “unmasked” electric concert at a three-day Vegas event called Kiss Army Storms Vegas. (This show comes just two years after the band played their so-called “Final Concert” and Simmons insisted they were done.)
Then, in December, Kiss will receive this year’s Kennedy Center Honors at the first ceremony since President Donald Trump took over the institution. While former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley supported Trump in 2020, Simmons hasn’t always had the kindest things to say about the president’s political career. However, that apparently wasn’t enough to dissuade Trump from bestowing the honor upon the bassist.
After the band was announced as a recipient, though, Simmons said in a statement, “Kiss is the embodiment of the American dream. We are deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honor.”
