In a recent interview with Classic Rock, Kip Winger revealed that Metallica’s frontman, James Hetfield, had contacted him over the phone, expressing remorse for past actions.
The conversation arose from a scene in Metallica’s music video for ‘Nothing Else Matters’ where Lars Ulrich throws darts at a poster featuring Kip Winger. When asked if Hetfield had apologized for his role in Winger’s career decline, the musician replied:
“James called me about a year and a half ago, and he was very sincere. I’m paraphrasing, but he said: ‘We were dumb kids back then, and I’m sorry if we hurt your career.’ He’s texted a couple of times since. In another life, maybe we could have been good friends.”
While Hetfield expressed remorse for the music video, Winger clarified that he did not receive a call from Ulrich. During a previous appearance on Appetite for Distortion, Winger stated:
“I don’t think Lars would ever call me to apologize. I think everybody was just young kids, and they were thinking it was funny. To me, it’s not funny to slag off a fellow musician. But who knows? They were just doing what they were doing. I don’t know. I can’t answer that.”