Tom DeLonge Fires Back At Blink-182: Says Their Relationship Is ‘Poisoned’

After Blink-182 called out Tom DeLonge for making his manager quit for him, the former band member reveals he ‘never’ planned to quit, and tells fans his relationship with the others is now officially ‘poisoned.’

Tom DeLonge, 39, claims he was just as surprised as everyone else when the remaining members of Blink-182 — Travis Barker, 39, and Mark Hoppus, 42 — released an official statement telling the world he had quit the band. For the first time since that happened, Tom is trying to tell his own story and, more or less, claims that this split was not his doing.

Tom DeLonge Slams Blink-182 For ‘Poisoning’ Relationship

Things are not getting any better in the Tom vs. Blink battle.

“I still care deeply for them. Like brothers, and like old friends,” Tom wrote in a letter to fans published on his Facebook page on Jan. 27. “But our relationship got poisoned yesterday.”

In the lengthy letter, Tom reveals he never intended to quit the band, and that there were underlying issues with Blink’s new record contract that rocked their already unstable ship.

Not only did the first version of the contract ban Tom from recording or releasing music with his other band, Angels and Airwaves, for 9 months — but it also required Blink-182 to record a brand-new album in six months. This is something Tom said was impossible to do considering his other contractual obligations and business plans.

“I wrote this same letter to them a year ago. But it created a massive argument, the biggest one yet actually,” Tom explains. “I just wanted us to do things we all agreed on. But that was their moment to dig in. From their view I was controlling everything.”

Yikes. It really sounds like Blink-182’s problems were rooted much deeper than anyone realized — until now.

Tom: Blink-182’s Failed EP Was The Real End

According to Tom’s letter, all of this craziness began when the band was supposed to record and put out an EP solely for their fans enjoyment.

“I was in the studio for two months and they came in for around 11 days. I didn’t mind leading the charge, but we had all agreed to give it 100%,” Tom writes, slamming his former bandmates for their lack of commitment to the EP.

Even worse, Tom says that the experience broke his spirit for good.

“At one point, squabbling and politics forced me to pull the EP down at a time when 60,000 fans were trying to purchase it. And that blew my mind. I’d been trying so hard but that moment ultimately broke my spirit. I then realized that this band couldn’t lose the years of ill will.”

What a tangled web Blink-182 has weaved here.

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers — Is Tom at fault for this split? Should Mark and Travis be blamed? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

— Lauren Cox
Follow @Iaurencox