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John Lydon accuses Sex Pistols of “cashing in” on the Queen’s death, distances himself from the band

The band have since responded, saying they “cannot understand” what the vocalist is referring to.

John Lydon

Image: Jim Dyson/Getty

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John Lydon has openly distanced himself from Sex Pistols in light of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II – accusing the band of “cashing in” on the event.

Taking to Twitter yesterday (September 15), Lydon’s band Public Image Ltd shared a series of updates, explaining that the ex-Sex Pistol wants to distance himself from any activity linked to the 1977 hit single, God Save The Queen.

“John Lydon wishes to distance himself from any Sex Pistols activity which aims to cash in on Queen Elizabeth II’s death,” the statement began. “The musicians in the band and their management have approved a number of requests against John’s wishes on the basis of the majority court-ruling agreement.”

The thread continues, explaining that the frontman, despite never being a supporter of the royal family, wants to share these statements to ensure that he treats the matter in a ‘respectful’ way, later adding:

“In John’s view, the timing for endorsing any Sex Pistols requests for commercial gain in connection with God Save The Queen in particular is tasteless and disrespectful to the Queen and her family at this moment in time.”

Responding to the accusations made by Lydon, a spokesperson for Sex Pistols gave a statement to Deadline, claiming that the band have done nothing to try and benefit from the Queen’s death.

“We cannot understand what he would be referring to,” they said. “Other than a couple requests for use of imagery or audio in news reports on The Queen and her impact on culture, there’s nothing new relating to God Save The Queen being promoted or released in any way.”

In the thread, the frontman also posted a portrait of Elizabeth II, the same one used for the infamous 1977 single; shared without the added punk-inspired modifications, of course.

Find the full thread on Twitter.

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