John Lydon will 'never forgive' Sex Pistols bandmates for court case while wife was dying

Chances of a Sex Pistols with John Lydon are 'minus infinities' as the punk legend won't forgive their court case while his late wife Nora battled Alzheimers

12:20, 22 Jul 2026

'I'll never forgive them" says John Lydon about his Pistols bandmates(Image: Getty Images)

John Lydon will "never forgive" his estranged Sex Pistols bandmates for taking him to court while he cared for his late wife.

The singer, known as Johnny Rotten in the punk band, lost a 2021 lawsuit over the Sex Pistols music rights for their TV miniseries, Pistol that aired on Disney+. He was excluded from the production and felt it dishonoured the band's legacy.

Now Lydon has said: Ill never forgive them for the way that they piled that court case on me while my wife was dying of Alzheimers.

It was a most unfortunate act on their part, and then using Disney to strip-mine me.

[Pistols]

No future - Sex Pistols back in the day(Image: Redferns)

Guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook won the case and were allowed to proceed with the project leaving Lydon out of pocket.

He explained: If I didnt raise, say, $10 million after the first week, the case couldnt go on. Thats money I could have spent taking care of my lovely Nora (wife) They knew she was ill.

Nora Forster died in 2023 but the singer says none of the band got in touch with him.

He told Rolling Stone: The dirt that they unloaded on me in a time where I was in real serious grief No, I cannot forget about that.

[Pistols]

Sex Pistols are back on the road with Frank Carter(Image: GETTY)

The Sex Pistols have since toured with a new singer Frank Carter, but Lydon is not impressed and has ruled out a reunion.

"Its in the minus infinities, he said of hopes they may get back together. I dont have spite in me.

"No, if theyd gone about this another way and were open and friendly with me, who knows what gifts that may have brought, but they decided skullduggery was the order of the day.

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