Megadeth parts ways with David Ellefson following sexual misconduct allegations

Megadeth co-founder and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine wrote in a statement that "David Ellefson is no longer playing with Megadeth."

"We do not take this decision lightly," the statement continued. "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. We look forward to seeing our fans on the road this summer, and we cannot wait to share our brand new music with the world. It is almost complete." Earlier this month, Ellefson, 56, attempted to clear the air over speculation he was intimately involved in communications with a woman who wasn’t his wife after alleged sexually explicit messages and video surfaced online. According to People magazine, in his social media post, which has since been made private, Ellefson denied the speculation that he allegedly "groomed" an underage fan.