The always controversial Gene Simmons is pushing the boundaries once again. This time, the 66-year-old KISS musician has offered his unwarranted opinion on the late Prince’s death.

While it should be noted that the case of Prince’s death is still under investigation, Simmons has already pinned the singer’s death on substance abuse. In an interview with Newsweek, he said, “Bowie was the most tragic of all because it was a real sickness. All the other ones were a choice.”;

Related: Prescription Drugs Found With Prince At The Time Of His Death

Simmons continued, targeting Prince: “His drugs killed him. What do you think, he died from a cold?… I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them. I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don’t kid yourself, that’s what he did. Slowly, I’ll grant you… but that’s what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death.”;

Trying to validate his point, the rocker added, “I’ve never been high or drunk in my life.”;

It has been speculated that the “Purple Rain”; hitmaker passed away last month at the age of 57 due to the long-term abuse of the painkiller Percocet.

Following the controversy that ensued — and, apparently, being harangued by his own family — the veteran rocker tweeted an apology, explaining that “I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts.”;

Acknowledging that “I did not express myself properly here,”; Simmons admits that what he said was out of line. “If I think I’m right, I’ll throw up a finger and dig my heels in and laugh. But this time, I was not. So, my apologies.”;

In response to Simmons’ remarks, co-founder and bassist of Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx, shared his own disheartened opinion on Twitter.

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