In an end-of-year Instagram post reflecting on 2025, Nicole Freese, wife of drummer Josh Freese, seemingly addressed his departure from Foo Fighters.
Josh joined the band in 2023 as their new drummer following the 2022 death of Taylor Hawkins. After two years with the group, he was let go in May 2025, later saying in a statement that Foo Fighters told him they had decided “to go in a different direction with their drummer.”
While reflecting on the highs and lows of her year, Nicole subtly criticized the band for Josh’s public dismissal, suggesting it was not handled well.
“Wow, 2025 … you were by far one interesting year! If someone had told me half of what would happen, I never would’ve believed them!” she began. “Some of it was not so fun, some of it was really, really great and some of it lived in that strange in-between space where it didn’t feel good – but it wasn’t exactly bad either, if that makes sense?”
Nicole went on to list what she described as the “lowlights” of 2025, writing that among the most difficult moments was “watching my best friend get blindsided by a very public firing from a job he’d been praised for.”
She also cited a number of “highlights” from the year, including her “best friend asked to play again with one of the best bands around” and him “also getting to play with some of my other favorite artists.”
Following Josh’s exit from Foo Fighters, the band announced Ilan Rubin of Nine Inch Nails as his replacement. In an ironic twist, the two bands effectively swapped drummers, with Nine Inch Nails calling on Josh to fill the vacancy behind the kit.
The move marked a return to familiar territory for Josh, who previously served as Nine Inch Nails’ drummer from 2005 to 2008 before stepping away to spend more time with his family.
In a recent interview with Consequence, NIN frontman Trent Reznor addressed his decision to bring Freese back amid Rubin’s departure.
“The reality of that scenario was it was a surprise to me that Ilan was joining the Foo Fighters. Ilan is a great musician and had been a solid guy during his tenure in the band. […] As soon as I heard the news, I thought I could call Josh and he could play the show tonight, ’cause there’s no doubt about his ability. And that’s essentially in a shorthand what went down. He was available and willing, and it just made sense on a number of levels,” he said.
“Being completely honest, we’re adults and we’re professional, but we’re also people with emotional feelings and a sense of camaraderie and intent and purpose,” Reznor continued. “I thought it would feel better to play that last wave of tours with someone that wants to be there, and that’s what went down.”
