Slipknot and Estate of Joey Jordison Settle Lawsuit Quietly

Joey Jordison’s estate just tied up its legal battle with Slipknot, but good luck trying to find out what really went down. Lawyers on both sides love keeping things as cryptic as possible. On September 17, Steamroller, LLC, the legal successor to Jordison, quietly filed a notice of settlement in Los Angeles. They also tossed in a request to dismiss the case. Terms? Naturally, sealed. Because why let anyone in on what actually happened, right?

The estate originally hit Slipknot with a lawsuit back in June 2023, claiming the band had profited off Jordison’s death after kicking him to the curb by email more than a decade ago. They also accused the band of hanging onto over 22 of Jordison’s belongings despite promising to return everything. Slipknot, always ones for keeping things sentimental, apparently had Joey’s gear tucked away in their traveling Knotfest museum, milking every last drop of nostalgia for ticket sales.

Steamroller wasn’t exactly subtle in their accusations. Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan were named directly, with the estate alleging that the duo promised to hand back Joey’s “musical instruments, gear, and wardrobe” in exchange for him releasing certain claims. But of course, according to the complaint, Taylor and Crahan weren’t too keen on actually holding up their end of the bargain. They returned some of the stuff, but apparently kept the best bits for their glorified Slipknot carnival.

Joey, who co-founded Slipknot in 1995 alongside Crahan and Paul Gray, was diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis in 2010, a nasty neurological disease that eventually left him unable to use his left leg. By 2013, instead of any meaningful conversation, Slipknot gave him the boot via email. Classy. The lawsuit paints Taylor and Crahan as the cold-hearted villains who profited off Joey’s hard work while he was battling his health issues, calling the whole thing “callous” and baffling, especially after Joey had dedicated his life to building Slipknot from the ground up.

There was also some juicy detail about a 2015 agreement where Slipknot Inc. was supposed to buy out Joey’s stake in the band. Part of that deal included a commitment to return Joey’s property “promptly,” which, if you’re keeping score, didn’t happen. Slipknot’s legal team was quick to ask for the lawsuit to be dismissed, of course, flatly denying every claim.

Then there’s the ugly aftermath of Joey’s passing in July 2021. While the world mourned, the lawsuit claims Taylor and Crahan were more interested in leveraging Joey’s death for a little album promo. They released ‘The End, So Far’ in 2022, and according to fan reviews, the album was riddled with laments for Joey’s absence. Taylor, never one to miss a PR opportunity, dedicated the record to Joey, claiming his death “crept in” while they were working on it. Taylor also gave fans a little mea culpa moment, saying they had hoped to patch things up with Joey before it was too late.

But what’s worse? The estate’s claim that Taylor and Crahan lied about contacting Joey’s family after his death. According to the lawsuit, no such call was made, and the family was understandably livid when they saw Taylor’s public claims of support online. The estate didn’t mince words, accusing the duo of exploiting Joey’s death for profit, all while the Knotfest museum kept raking in ticket money as fans paid to gawk at Joey’s old gear. Because nothing says “honoring a legacy” like slapping it in a glass box and charging admission.

Slipknot’s legal response? A giant “nope” to every accusation. The band had been tight-lipped about Joey’s 2013 exit, but eventually, both sides opened up a bit. Taylor admitted back in 2014 that firing Joey was one of the hardest decisions the band ever made. But hard decisions don’t always mean the right ones, and the fallout from Joey’s death has made it clear that, no matter how many times Taylor dedicates a song or says “he’ll always be family,” it’s hard to shake the sense that Joey deserved better.