Gene Simmons of Kiss comments on Prince: "How pathetic that he killed himself"

Kiss frontman Gene Simmons commented on the passing of music icon Prince in a new interview with Newsweek, saying, “[Prince's] drugs killed him. What do you think, he died from a cold?”

He continued, “I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them. I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don’t kid yourself, that’s what he did. Slowly, I’ll grant you… but that’s what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death.”

Read more: Gene Simmons of Kiss to depressed people: “F*ck you, then kill yourself”

Fellow Kiss member Paul Stanley apologized on Twitter for Simmons’ comments, calling them “cold” and “clueless.” He added, “Without all the facts better to say nothing.”

Prince passed away in April at the age of 57. Autopsy results were inconclusive and a full toxicology report is still being waited on.