Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Going to Rehab for Substance Abuse
It appears there was something more than anger at the heart of Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s expletive-filled rant when the band’s set was cut short at this weekend’s iHeart Radio Festival in Las Vegas. The frontman is heading to rehab for substance abuse issues.
Green Day posted a statement on their Facebook page today (Sept. 23) after video of Armstrong’s tirade went viral. Enraged by a truncated set, the singer spewed the “f” word and smashed his guitar before giving the finger and storming offstage.
In the statement below, the band reveals that Armstrong will seek treatment and apologizes for his behavior, acknowledging that the set was not cut short by Clear Channel.
Billie Joe is seeking treatment for substance abuse. We would like everyone to know that our set was not cut short by Clear Channel and to apologize to those we offended at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas. We regretfully must postpone some of our upcoming promotional appearances.
‘¡Uno!,’ the first of three albums in the band’s upcoming trilogy of releases, lands on Tuesday, Sept. 25, so the timing could be either unfortunate or beneficial for Green Day. The fact that the singer is receiving treatment means they’ll cut back on promotional efforts for the album, but the news will undoubtedly spark further media coverage, reminding people that the record is coming out.