K.K. Downing Has No Doubt David Ellefson Will ‘Come Back’

K.K. Downing has expressed his support for David Ellefson, who recently split with Megadeth after a series of intimate videos were leaked online.

The guitarist and Judas Priest founding member discussed the topic on a recent episode of Eddie Trunk’s Trunk Nation on SiriusXM.

“Dave and I, every now and again we’re in touch, and, obviously, I did send David a text saying, obviously, ‘You’ve got a lot of friends around the world. And he does. He’s not just liked — he’s actually loved. Because he’s such a gentleman.'” Downing said, noting that Ellefson is the type of musician who always hangs out and socializes with fans.

“What happened — and I talk about it with other journalists and things like that — if this had happened in the ’70s or the ’80s, it would have just been put down to rock and roll,” the guitarist said laughing. “He’s no different to anybody else. We’ve all got strengths, and we’ve all got weaknesses, especially as men, I’m afraid. And so many have kept the doors closed where David messed up and left the door ajar, but he’s no different to anybody else.”

Downing wishes the bassist well and has no doubts that he’ll “come back.”

Last month, personal conversations between Ellefson and a woman surfaced online. Though the woman involved came forward with a statement confirming that the relationship was consensual, Megadeth announced that the bassist was no longer in the band shortly after.

The bassist released his own statement afterward, asserting that he will be pursuing “revenge porn” charges on the person who uploaded the content.

We recently spoke with Downing about his new band KK’s Priest and their debut album Sermons of the Sinner. Read the full conversation here.