System Of A Down Drummer John Dolmayan Alienated Friends And Fans With His Opinions

John Dolmayan, the drummer of System Of A Down, has revealed that he has lost friends and “hundreds of thousands of fans” because of his controversial opinions.

Dolmayan became known for his opinions when he openly supported Donald Trump before and during his presidency, which was in sharp contrast to the band’s singer Serj Tankian, who strongly condemned Trump and even demanded his resignation. Dolmayan assured, however, that there was “no danger whatsoever” of him being kicked out of System Of A Down. He also angered many people by saying that Black Lives Matter “never had legitimacy” and was a “propaganda tool” for the Democrat Party, and by arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic “has always been about money”.

Now, Dolmayan has reflected on what his “unwillingness” to accept the “narratives” that those close to him believed in have cost him in a new Instagram post.

“I lost people that I thought were friends over the last few years primarily due to my unwillingness to accept the narratives they are now questioning the validity of,” he wrote. “Not to mention hundreds of thousands of fans who couldn’t handle my opinions here on Instagram. When you endeavor to help those in peril, or guide those that are being duped, sometimes you lose because of it. You do it anyway”. He then added in a caption: “And I’ll do it again.”Dolmayan has previously criticized fans who have disagreed with his political views. “If I simply kept my mouth shut as some of you would prefer there would be one less voice speaking against the willful destruction and hate that is consuming so many people, hate and anger that will only bring a stronger and more violent reaction from opposing ideals. This helps no one,” he said in 2020.

Regarding his and Tankian’s different views, he has claimed that the singer does not represent the whole band on politics. “If you think that Serj is the mouthpiece of the band, which he is as far as vocally but not necessarily for ideology, then you have nowhere to go,” he said.

Tankian, on the other hand, has said that he “respects” Dolmayan but not his political views, even though he defended him for his earlier comments about Trump.

In other System Of A Down news, Tankian recently announced he had written a memoir, Down With The System, which will be released in May 2024.