Stone Temple Pilots Violent Studio Fight Revealed: ‘Strangled With Great Force’

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Co-written by Brett Buchanan

Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo denied claims in new divorce documents that he abused his estranged wife Jenn DeLeo, claiming Jenn used similar attacks against her previous husband, who he described as actually being a good guy. Dean said he has been clean and sober since 2013, and had his son, ex-wife, and girlfriend defend him in his documentation.

Jenn DeLeo has filed a counter divorce document that is over 70 pages, and it features email and text conversations with Dean. Much of what is covered is in relation to previous allegations, but there are some new details regarding alleged fights that members of Stone Temple Pilots have had with each other.

It’s important to note that only two fights between the DeLeo brothers are referenced, and STP has appeared to get along well on their 2018 tours. Bands get in fights, so it is important to think about the context when it comes to stories like these, and also that the stories came out due to a divorce battle. We haven’t heard from Dean or Robert DeLeo about how they resolved their issues after these fights.

Jenn writes in the divorce document, “In reference to me not being supportive of his work and being jealous of him and his fame, I was exactly the opposite. I was extremely active in the search for the new singer. Dean has written me texts and emails telling me that I was more helpful than his own brother, Robert DeLeo, and Eric Kretz, his bandmates.

Dean screamed foul language at Jeff Gutt the new lead singer over the phone which prompted Jeff to hang up and call Robert DeLeo. Again, Dean’s temper and inability to control it is well known in the industry. Richard Patrick from Filter and Ray Luzier from Korn are mentioned in Dean’s email which I will provide regarding his brother and the ‘DeLeo temper.’”

A screenshot is later shown of a text Dean allegedly sent Jenn, where he forwards a text he sent Jeff Gutt apologizing for how he treated him. It is dated January 19th, but it’s unclear if it’s 2017 or 2018.

“I texted Jeff G.

It is important for me to keep my side of the street clean and how I conducted myself last night was wrong. I love and respect you as well. I’m still miffed though as to how this all went down??? These gigs are so important to our future. First impressions are hard to break and let’s remember a gig is just not in the venue any longer.

It exists on YouTube. This last year of sacrifice and hard work is just about to pay off. Literally. I spent most of my career running on 3 cylinders with this band. I am not willing to ever do that again. I would rather put a fork in it. With you, we now have the ability to be great and I won’t settle for less.”

Later, a screenshot of an email Dean allegedly sent to Jenn is shown, detailing a fight between Robert and Dean DeLeo while they were recording the new self-titled Stone Temple Pilots album. The email was written on September 22, 2016. There is also some information regarding an alleged fight Robert DeLeo had with Richard Patrick while Army of Anyone were on tour in 2007.

“September 20th marked the 2nd day with singer Jeff Gutt at Robert’s house. Eric, Robert, Jeff and myself had an incredible first day together. Robert and I spoke on the evening of the 19th as well as the morning of the 20th with great hope and positivity.

It was pretty evident that Jeff was our guy. Our new singer!!! I was excited to get back to work at Robert’s house. I picked up Jeff early that Tuesday around 12:30PM as we had a 1:00PM downbeat. We got coffee and headed on over, arriving at Robert’s around 12:50. We pulled right up behind Kretz and Ryan arrived shortly thereafter. Ryan, Eric, Jeff and myself were recording vocals just after 1:00pm on a song with a working title of 6/8.

Jeff was killing it, asked if he could try a vocal line in the chorus, for me. Ryan, Eric, Jeff, and myself agreed would sound really cool. I asked Jeff to sing it a certain way and he did.

Nearly 35 minutes later around 1:40, Robert comes in with a bottle of Windex and a rag. He sits down and listens to a playback. Within minutes, he asks Jeff to sing it completely opposite of what [he just doing].”

Dean then discusses having a disagreement with Robert about how Jeff was singing the song.

“Robert then flipped. Standing up and yelling at me that I wasn’t man enough to talk to him about it sooner and that I made his feel unwelcome in his own home. He kept yelling in front of Ryan and Jeff that he didn’t like the sour puss face I had on either. YELLING.

If I had any face on it was a face of embarrassment.

I then calmly said, ‘hey man, we’ve been down here since 1 working on this.’ Robert flipped… asking me, ‘what’s that supposed to mean.’ He continued to yell that I wasn’t man enough to talk to him. I was disrespectful. In reality, I just wanted to tell Robert without Jeff hearing it.

This tirade went on for a few minutes before Robert stormed out of the small control room. I turned and apologized to Jeff. I then gathered my belongings and proceeded to leave.

As I went out the back door, Eric was just finishing up a phone call.”

“Eric followed me out to my car where we were talking about the situation with his wife and that they got the great news that all was benign and they felt confident they got everything.

I then proceeded to tell Eric what just happened in the control room. Just then Robert came out from his house screaming, ‘you can’t talk to me, you gotta talk to him.’ Yelling and walking toward me with his teeth clinched and rage in his eyes.

He violently knocked me off my feet and slammed me against my car, grabbing my shirt and applying pressure against my neck. Pushing me harder and harder into the back driver door and window of my car. I could feel the metal giving way behind me.

The front driver door in my car was open and i had a near full grande coffee in the hand which exploded from the impact of Robert slamming me against the car and the coffee covered my 2 front seats and center console.

After a few minutes he let go. Shaking, I then very calmly walked around to the back of my car where I got a towel to clean the interior. He then grabbed me a second time with great force strangling me and yelled, ‘you are mean, you are mean, you think you’re better than everyone’ and other obscenities all the while he had complete rage in his eyes. After a few more minutes of that he let go. I then asked, ‘do you talk to your kids like that?’ He then came at me again and grabbed my shirt and neck with great force and pressure lifting me off my feet and nearly ripping my shirt off. With teeth clinched and hatred in his eyes he told me to leave his family out of it.

The rage was indescribable.

While choking me, he said 2, maybe 3 times, ‘I fucking hate having you in my life. I fucking hate having you in my life, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you Dean.’ Robert then walked off.

During each attack my hands never left my side nor did I put up any resistance.

Mr. Kretz witnessed the entire assault.

“This was the 2nd time as adults Robert physically attacked me. The last time was on our bus in Aspen during an Army of Anyone tour.”

He later wrote, “The unprovoked display of brutal anger toward me in Aspen happened only days after Robert had his hands around the neck of Richard Patrick in the back lounge of the bus. I had to peel Robert off of him.

After, Robert threw me around and broke up the bus that day in Aspen. I went for a walk. He tracked me down to once again be verbally abusive. Yelling at me in the center of Aspen, screaming what a piece of shit that I am. He followed me only steps away through the crowded streets shouting obscenities.

Ray Luzier who was the drummer for Army of Anyone witnessed the entire fit of rage on the bus that day. He said to me later, ‘I was afraid to leave. Thought he was going to kill you.’ So did I.”