Megadeth ousts original member David Ellefson after sexual misconduct accusations

An original member of Megadeth has been ousted from the heavy metal band after being accused of sexual misconduct.

David Ellefson’s exit was announced Monday by Dave Mustain, whom he founded the group with in 1983.

“We do not take this decision lightly,” Mustain said in a statement Monday.

“While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward.”

Ellefson has been accused of grooming a fan as a minor, according to The Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly. The fan has reportedly been identified by some online as being 19.

Private messages and videos allegedly involving Ellefson were leaked online.

“As much as it’s not something I’m proud of, these were private, adult interactions that were taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family,” Ellefson wrote in an Instagram statement this month.

“The other party involved has made a statement which you can see... I thank her for doing so and hope that this clarifies that the situation was not at all as presented.”

His Instagram account has since been made private.

Megadeth is known for songs such as “Tornado of Souls” and “Symphony of Destruction.”

In his announcement Monday, Mustain said the band looks forward to performing live this summer and releasing new music.