UPDATE: 8/26/2025 – According to Blabberouth.net, Cradle Of Filth fired Marek “Ashok” Smerda just hours after the guitarist announced his departure from the band.
According to Blabbermouth.net, guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda has confirmed he will be leaving Cradle Of Filth at the end of the band’s current Latin American tour. Ashok’s announcement of his departure comes just days after his wife, Zoë M. Federoff, left the group mid-tour after serving as Cradle Of Filth’s female vocalist and keyboardist for the past three years.
Earlier today, Šmerda released the following message on his social media: “Dear fans and friends, I ask you to please respect my wife and myself in this transitional period. I am indeed leaving CRADLE OF FILTH at the end of this current tour, and the reasons behind this are conclusions my wife and I came together at long before this week.”
The artist adds: “We simply do not feel like CRADLE can provide for our future, and in fact hinders it. Among other reasons it is a lot of work for relatively low pay, the stress is quite high, and we haven’t felt for a while like this band actually prioritizing/caring about members. It has been years of unprofessional behavior from people above us that led to our decision.”
Šmerda continues with: “I have also asked all compositions of mine removed from upcoming releases including Ed Sheeran collab. This song feels like foolish clown antics for me at this point anyways — first it was charity single for kids, then for profit single, then on next album, and now who knows and I just do not want to be involved anymore, no disrespect to Ed Sheeran. And meanwhile so many ‘brilliant’ Internet brains trying to speculate on personal affairs between me and Zoe — just stop this, please.”
The artist adds: “We are trying to start new chapter. And I am going to finish this tour strong! For the fans and for my friends in this band and crew! It is my last ride with CRADLE and I am proud to give it my best. I am sad to not share the stage with my wife these last times but I respect why she left and I am happy our friend Kelsey Peters has been given opportunity to shine. This is all I have to say for now. Leave my wife alone. NEVER insult her or her choices in my presence… or else.”
In response, Cradle Of Filth founding vocalist Dani Filth revealed that the band has indeed already brought on a temporary replacement: “A strange turn of events have manifested out here on tour for CRADLE OF FILTH in South America,” he said. “Our keyboardist/backing singer Zoe Smerda has chosen to leave the band mid-tour, effective immediately. We, of course, wish her all the best for the future. And we as a band will continue onward and upward as always, with a replacement singer here in Kelsey Peters, one of the very talented CREWDLE members.”
Then, Federoff later returned to social media to offer a “couple clarifying points” regarding her original statement “since so many people decided to speculate in the nastiest possible ways.” She wrote: “Ashok isn’t cheating. While the turmoil of being in the band has taken its toll on us, we remain very much certain that we love each other. Please be kind to my husband. He is a good man.”
Photo Credit: Brett Padelford
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