‘You’re training losers’: Gene Simmons defends not funding his children’s lifestyles
KISS star Gene Simmons has insisted he won’t give his children an allowance “for being alive” as that leads to "training losers".
Gene Simmons won’t give his children an allowance “for being alive”.
The 76-year-old KISS rocker insisted he won’t fund the lifestyles of his kids, Nick, 37, and Sophie, 33, and he thinks it is “woke” to do so.
Speaking to Us Weekly, while promoting his new movie Deep Water, he explained: “Well, the word ‘no’ means no. The word ‘no’ in these, let’s say, progressive times, and these woke times is children are allowed to roll their eyes or go into their rooms and slam the door, and that’s not allowed. It’s not your door. It’s my door. And every morsel of food you put into your little chubby cheek mouths is my food. Every breath of air you take is my air, at least in this house. So we had really strict rules. There was never any allowance. For doing what? For being alive? You’re training losers.
“When the kids were growing up, we had to negotiate. [They’d say], ‘Dad, I love you. Can I have 20 bucks?’ Um Okay? I appreciate the ‘love’ part. Yeah, that’s good. What do you want to do for the 20 bucks? What are you going to do? ‘Well, I’ll take the garbage out and then cut the lawn.’ Okay, well, let’s negotiate. How about 10 bucks? No, I think then you settle on 15. Life.
“You got to make sure they understand that money doesn’t grow on trees. And I didn’t make up these rules. I’m just aware of it, because sooner mom and dad, your safety net, go away, and we’re not going to be here forever, and then life doesn’t care that you’re a nice person. You got to show me what you got.
“Many of us feel entitled. ‘It’s my right to health care.’ No, it’s not. … [My mom] never borrowed money. She never owed any. She was never in debt. She went to work in a sweat factory, no minimum wage, and never complained about anything, because she understood the glory that is America.”
And, Gene – who starred on reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels with his children and wife Shannon Tweed – believes his unique approach to parenting has worked very well.
He said: “Sophie and Nick, I have to say, are much better, much more moral and ethical human beings than I ever was. Certainly Shannon ever was. Sophie is approaching two billion downloads of her songs. She writes and produces, does all that for other artists, the rock band Train and lots of others, a lot of K-Pop stuff. She did that all by herself. Taught herself, never asked my opinion about how should I write songs? Self taught. Nick, likewise, has had his music on the Prodigal Son TV series and Ozark … and just finished his first album with [KISS member] Paul Stanley‘s son Evan.”
Now that KISS have retired from touring, following their End of the Road World Tour in 2023, Simmons gets to spend even more quality time with his family.
He said: “You know, between all the houses that we have all over, the kids are almost always here on the weekends, and they’re grown. You know, they’re grown man, grown woman … And who else do you know that age [saying] ‘I gotta go visit my mom and dad.’ Oh, they are. I couldn’t tell you.”
