Mumford And Sons member Winston Marshall has left the band after receiving criticism for espousing right-wing views and supporting Andy Ngo’s new book, Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan To Destroy Democracy. Marshall said his decision to leave the band is based on his choice to speak freely on topics that are important to him.
The 32 year-old Mumford And Sons founder was already thinking about leaving the band after facing backlash on Twitter for praising Andy Ngo’s book back in March. At first, Marshall tweeted out an apology, stating that he understood the pain the book he endorsed caused other people. “I have offended not only lot of people I don’t know, but also those closest to me, including my bandmates,” Marshall tweeted. “And for that I am truly sorry.”
However, in a self-published statement on Medium, he seemed to have done a complete 180 on the subject, and retracted his apology. In part of his statement, Marshall wrote:
“The truth is that reporting on extremism at the great risk of endangering oneself is unquestionably brave. I also feel that my previous apology in a small way participates in the lie that such extremism does not exist, or worse, is a force for good.”
Marshall also goes on to say that the people calling him a fascist are “ludicrous” because his ancestors were victims of the Holocaust. “Thirteen members of my family were murdered in the concentration camps of the Holocaust. My Grandma, unlike her cousins, aunts and uncles, survived. She and I were close,” Marshall said “My family knows the evils of fascism painfully well. To say the least. To call me ‘fascist was ludicrous beyond belief.’
Marshall also states that his way forward is to leave the band, that way he can speak freely without being judged by a fanbase.
“I leave with love in my heart and I with those three boys nothing but the best,” Marshall stated, “I have no doubt that their stars will shine in the future.”
So far, there has been no comment from any other member of the band.
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
Leave a Comment