Gene Simmons car crash: Rock icon assures fans ‘all is well,’ jokes about his poor driving skills

Gene Simmons has spoken out after reports surfaced that he was involved in a car crash in Malibu, California. "Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes," Simmons wrote in an Oct. 8 X post. "I'm completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us (who are) horrible drivers. And that's me. All is well."


According to NBC 4 Los Angeles, the 76-year-old KISS frontman was driving on the Pacific Coast Highway on Tuesday, Oct. 7, when his vehicle crashed into a parked car. A bystander reportedly called 911, prompting officers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to arrive at the scene.

Simmons says he fainted before the crash

Following the crash, Simmons was hospitalized for evaluation, police told NBC. Authorities said Simmons explained the incident to first responders, revealing that he passed out or fainted before crashing into the parked vehicle. The legendary rocker later reassured fans that he was doing well and joked about his driving skills, ending speculation about the severity of the incident.

Who is Gene Simmons?

Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949, in Haifa, Israel) is an Israeli-born American musician best known as the bassist and co-lead singer of the legendary rock band KISS, which he co-founded in 1973 alongside Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. Known for his stage persona “The Demon” and his trademark long tongue, Simmons was part of KISS until the band’s retirement in 2023. He also starred in the reality TV show Gene Simmons Family Jewels (2006–2012) and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Born to Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivors, Simmons spent his early years in poverty in Israel before moving to New York with his mother at age eight. He later earned a BA in Education and worked briefly as a teacher before pursuing music full-time, a path that made him one of rock’s most recognizable figures.