KISS’ Gene Simmons Hospitalized After Car Crash, Thanks Fans for ‘Kind Wishes’

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was hospitalized Tuesday after a car crash in Malibu, California, NBC4 Los Angeles was the first to report.

Simmons’ wife Shannon Tweed let NBC4 know that the rocker was recovering at home, while a rep for KISS told Billboard on Wednesday (Oct. 8) that Simmons is “already back to work.”

Also on Wednesday, Simmons sent a message to fans through his X account thanking everyone for “the kind wishes” and assuring, “I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us [who are] horrible drivers. And that’s me. All is well.”

According to the NBC4 report, the crash was reported to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department just before 1 p.m. PT when Simmons’ Lincoln Navigator reportedly crashed into a parked car on Pacific Coast Highway. He told deputies on the scene that he had either fainted or passed out before the crash, according to the L.A. Sheriff.

Next month, Simmons and KISS are set to perform together for the first time since December 2023, when they wrapped up their End of The Road Tour with a two-night stand at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The band announced in March that they would reunite as part of the three-day KISS Kruise: Landlocked in Vegas event, which runs Nov. 14-16 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The event promises two makeup-free KISS Unmasked shows — one acoustic and one electric — plus activities with Simmons, founding frontman Paul Stanley and 2002-23 guitarist/vocalist Tommy Thayer.