Gene Simmons thinks there’s more to the story behind the death of KISS co-founding member Ace Frehley.
Frehley died in October at age 74, after falling down the stairs in his Morristown, NJ home. His death was ruled accidental, stemming from blunt force trauma to his head from the fall. But Simmons told the New York Post, “Falling down the stairs—I’m not a doctor—doesn’t kill you.” The classic rock icon suggested “there may have been other issues” related to Frehley’s death.
Ace Frehley’s death was declared an accident after the star fell in his home in October. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace’s legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn’t live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) October 16, 2025
Frehley was “in and out of bad decisions,” Simmons said, and “refused [advice] from people that cared about him, including yours truly, to try to change his lifestyle.” Simmons put it more bluntly when he concluded, “You reap what you shall sow, unfortunately.”
Simmons made his comments the day before the band was awarded at Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center Honors, where he attended along with KISS members Peter Criss and Paul Stanley. “Saddest of all perhaps is that Ace just couldn’t stay alive long enough to sit there proudly at the Kennedy Center,” Simmons also told the Post.
Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Paul Stanley of KISS were honored at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday. Paul Morigi/Getty Images
In 2019, Simmons claimed his former bandmate was fired for “drugs, alcohol, and bad behavior,” which prompted Frehley to hit back: “Your slanderous remarks about my bad habits over the years has cost me millions of dollars and now that I’m over 12 years sober you’re still saying I can’t be trusted.” Frehley accused Simmons of being “an a—–e and a sex addict” who “groped my wife” in the post.
In his 2019 response to Simmons’ accusations about his substance use, Frehley accused him of being “an a—–e and a sex addict” who “groped my wife.” Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
Frehley left KISS twice since 1982, though he returned briefly in 1996 for a reunion. He went on to become the only solo KISS member to top the Billboard charts.
According to the Morris County, New Jersey Medical Examiner, Frehley’s fall fractured the back of his skull, caused a stroke, and created a subdural hematoma. He leaves behind his daughter, Monique, 45, and his wife, Jeanette Trerotola.
