Yesterday (July 19th), bassist Hal Patino announced that he left King Diamond after 19 years of being in the group. His statement can be read here. Patino offers a follow-up statement below:

"I'm NOT a drug addict! I'm actually getting pretty tired of this already, but I feel like I have to tell the story from my point of view (without responding to every little detail in King's statement, cause that would turn this into a novel). After this, it's up to every individual to think/believe whatever they want to..

WHAT THE FUCK!!? - King has done it again! I got 3 kids who are using Facebook and reading the news on a daily basis. Your lieing about stuff - like accusing me of doing drugs and calling me a liar is about as low and disgusting as it gets - but it really doesn't come as a surprise to me, because it has always been like this.

I knew that something like this would come up, and King knows that if we could have come to some kind of an agreement, I would have been able to fly in and out from rehearsals to the shows in Norway … When I didn’t hear from him (them) .. I just quit !

King ! How can you call me a liar when I said that you did the same thing to my friends Mikkey Dee and Pete Blakk !

They left the band before you told the press that they were fired!

I would like to address King, if he reads this. Personally I don’t care for the shit you are writing about me, I’m more concerned about my kids, family and friends, reading all your bullshit about me being a drug addict !!

You think you know what's going on in my life? You don’t know shit .. and you never will! Your real problem is that you're are a tired bitter old man, that’s the only thing I get from your statement.

Just to end this now .. I will NEVER forgive you! All that support you got from my family and especially my son Jackie ‘’Maryann Cotton’’ who has promoted you through all kinds of media (TV, interviews, and so on). When you were told that he was in a writing process with Dick Wagner and Alice Cooper, you turned your back on him, even though you've known him since he was a little child.

And you are right, I will never ever work with you again. Because this is what you get for being with King Diamond for 19 years.

To all the people out there that have expressed their support and concern: THANK YOU!"