In a recent conversation on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, Wolfgang Van Halena addressed the reactions of Van Halen fans after he replaced Michael Anthony.
The rocker said he avoided negativity after joining Van Halen as a teen because it was mostly on message boards. He added:
“I was just having a good time enjoying my newly sober dad, and jamming with my family and having a wonderful time. And it was just this wonderful, happy, joyous thing. Until it went public, and then it was, like, ‘Yeah, I can see why people would want to hate me.’”
When asked if the criticism was because of Anthony leaving, Wolf said:
“Yeah. [But] that’s between my dad and him. I was just there to make sure my dad stayed on the sober path that he was on. And me being there for him and keeping the train moving was my full intent.”
Anthony And Wolf’s Earlier Statements On Each Other
Anthony and Van Halen are still on good terms with no bad blood. Anthony recently said he felt a lot of closure when he attended a Mammoth WVH show in Las Vegas in 2023:
“We sat and talked, and there was a lot of closure for me there. Valerie [Bertinelli, Wolfgang’s mother and Eddie’s ex-wife] was there. So it was a great night. Besides the fact that Wolf is a great guy, great musician, his band kicks a**. But, yeah. So at least we were able to do that.”
Wolfgang also previously discussed how getting together with Anthony in Las Vegas made him feel, explaining:
“Oh, it was wonderful. We hadn’t seen each other in 20 years. So it was great to just give him a big hug and really talk. We haven’t had much of an opportunity to do so. People try to make it seem like there’s some animosity, hatred or competition between us, but it’s never been that way.”
Wolfgang replaced Anthony in Van Halen in 2006 when he was only 15. The musician is set to perform with his band, Mammoth WVH on August 9 in Chicago. They will have three more shows throughout August and other gigs throughout September and November.