KISS co-founder Gene Simmons turned what began as a policy discussion into an uncomfortable exchange when he asked a television news anchor about modeling during a live broadcast on Monday.
The 76-year-old musician was wrapping up an 11-minute interview with Scripps News anchor Maritsa Georgiou about his Senate testimony supporting the American Music Fairness Act when he suddenly interjected, “by the way, are you still modeling?”
Georgiou appeared caught off guard, responding, “what??”
When Simmons repeated his question, she clarified, “I don’t model, sir.”
The rock legend told her he “just assumed” she did before Georgiou ended the segment, saying, “I appreciate that. We appreciate your time.”
The interview occurred while Simmons was in Washington, D.C., for the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony recognizing his band, Parade noted. The conversation had focused on legislation that would require radio broadcasters to pay performance royalties to artists.
Following the broadcast, Georgiou addressed the exchange on her Instagram story, writing, “Ohhhh there’s so much to say about this encounter. My life is weird.”
This is not the first time Simmons has drawn criticism for appearance-related remarks.
Earlier in 2024, while serving as a guest judge on “Dancing with the Stars,” he faced backlash for commenting more on female contestants’ looks than their dancing abilities. When questioned by the Daily Mail about those comments, Simmons said, “I stand by every word I said.”
