Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst‘s past support of Russia has come back to haunt him. While much of it has been forgotten these days, back in 2012, Durst married Ukrainian born Kseniya Beryazina, a relationship that led to him spending more time overseas. During that period, Durst became increasingly more localized to Russian culture, particularly the Crimea region, which Russia annexed from Ukraine back in 2014.
At one point in 2015, Durst and his aforementioned ex-wife had planned to move to Crimea and film Russian/Crimea-friendly TV content via an arrangement that was championed by state officials. That decision, along with Durst showing some apparent public support for the Russian-Crimea annexation at a 2015 live show (Durst is said to have held up a flag that read ‘Crimea = Russia”) led to Durst being banned from the Ukraine for five years.
At the time, Durst himself personally defended his admiration for the people of the region, stating in a since-deleted tweet, “there are great people everywhere. I have met many Russians, in Russia, that are excited to learn more about America.”
Durst‘s cultural fascination with Russia was on full display publicly in 2015 in particular, as he released numerous video segments of local culture and more while touring Russia, including visiting a vodka distillery, speaking at a Russian high school and more.
Durst and Beryazina went on to divorce in 2018, with Durst‘s public commentary on Russia largely abating since. However, it has been reported that in 2024 he did take to VKontakte to express that he missed playing for his Russian fans. Now, years removed from the controversy, Durst‘s previous ties have resurfaced amid Limp Bizkit‘s plans to tour Estonia this coming May.
In light of his past commentary and Russian support, the band’s planned May 31st, 2026 show in Tallinn, Estonia has been canceled. A note from the promoter regarding the scrapped concert read:
“We inform you that due to circumstances beyond the organizer’s control, the Limp Bizkit concert planned for May 31, 2026, is canceled. Our apologies!”
ERR report that since being announced on November 07th, that show had drawn considerable backlash given Durst‘s aforementioned Russian ties. Brita Kikkas, a ministry media advisor for the country of Estonia, commented on the news to the aforementioned publication, stating that, “Estonia supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the principle that every last centimeter of Ukrainian territory belongs to Ukraine.”
Kikkas went on to state that those ‘backing an an aggressor state’ weren’t welcome in Estonia or the Estonian cultural space. Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna also made clear the country’s stance on the matter, adding:
“My position is clear, and I will repeat it: Russia is the aggressor, and Crimea is occupied by Russia. Those who justify Russia’s aggression and the occupation of a neighboring country are not welcome in Estonia. They have no place on Estonian stages and should not be earning income here.”
