Gene Simmons opened up at the KISS Kruise in Las Vegas, sharing some of his biggest regrets — especially around his former bandmates Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Sitting in front of fans, he said that if he could go back, he would have done things differently: “If I have any regrets, my hand to God, it’s that … I wish we were smarter and better at trying to help Ace and Peter have better lives.”
Simmons admitted that during their peak years, he and the rest of the band often chose to avoid tough conversations. “Sometimes all of us are guilty … of, ‘I don’t want to start an argument,’ and … ‘Let’s just keep touring,’ because it worked … the money, the fame — we didn’t want to rock the boat,” he said. But in hindsight, he realizes the cost: “Meantime, somebody who might be your brother is ruining their life by bad decisions.”
One of the things Simmons regrets most is not practicing more “tough love.” He acknowledged that being more confrontational might have helped Ace and Peter, even if it wasn’t comfortable: “It’s not going to be a popular thing … but in the long run … you’re hopefully helping that person change their life.”
Simmons reflected on how their dynamic may have been different if he’d intervened more. He said he’s “sad in retrospect” that he wasn’t harder on them when they were struggling with substance abuse — a battle that Simmons believes undermined their lives and careers. He noted that both Frehley and Criss gave the band its early spark: “They had unique voices, unique personalities … they should have been here … enjoying the fruits of their labour.”
Simmons has repeatedly pointed out that Frehley and Criss were in and out of the band several times. He expressed frustration that despite those opportunities, he feels they never fully got the emotional support they needed. In previous interviews, he also admitted that their sabbaticals were partly due to his unwillingness to confront them more forcefully.
In sharing these regrets, Simmons referenced a personal example: when he helped his own mother quit smoking, he used what he called “tough love” — reminding himself now that maybe he should have done the same for his friends.
His public reflections come at a time of loss for KISS: Ace Frehley passed away in October 2025. Simmons’ comments feel like more than nostalgia — they carry a heavy sense of “what might have been.” He clearly wishes that backstage support had matched the band’s larger-than-life stage success.
