Slipknot’s Jim Root Addresses Band’s Alleged Lack of Concern Over Paul Gray’s Drug Addiction

Slipknot just released their '.5: The Gray Chapter' album, which is heavily influenced by the feelings generated after the death of bassist Paul Gray. But despite the band's mourning of Gray, the bassist's widow has expressed doubt regarding Slipknot's concern over the bassist's drug addiction prior to his passing.

Brenna Gray testified in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Gray's doctor that she had reached out to members of Slipknot about her husband's issues, but that none of them wanted to get involved.

In a new interview with Sweden Rock Magazine, guitarist Jim Root addresses the idea that the band didn't actively seek to help Gray. When asked about Brenna Gray's testimony, Root told the magazine (as translated by Blabbermouth), "I think she's probably gonna say whatever she thinks she needs to say for the lawyers to hear. You know, I mean, Paul was our brother. Paul was very close to us. We tried putting Paul in treatment numerous times. We took him off of tours and we had interventions with him. I would stop by at Paul's house with my ex-girlfriend and he would still be in bed."

Root continued, "There are a lot of circumstances and dynamics there and I'm sure that she is hurting very deeply and trying to find some way to maybe put the blame somewhere. At the end of the day, Paul was sick and Paul had a problem and we were there for Paul. Paul wasn't always available. I feel bad. I feel bad for the whole situation."

The guitarist says that Gray's widow and child will always have the band members to count on and that they all cared very much about Gray's well-being while he was alive.

"What can you do," says Root. "If you have a sickness, you gotta fix that sickness, but you can't keep putting somebody into treatment over and over and over again. What are you supposed to do? Babysit someone and live with them? What can you do?"

Root and his Slipknot brothers just released '.5: The Gray Chapter.' The album is currently available for purchase at Amazon and iTunes.

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