Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen has publicly criticised former bandmate Sammy Hagar, calling him a "complete idiot" during an interview about Van Halen's history. The remark, made to Brazilian journalist Marcelo Vieira while discussing the two singers' respective memoirs, marks one of Alex's rare public comments on Hagar in recent years and has reignited tension between the two, prompting a terse response from Hagar himself.

Alex made the comment while comparing David Lee Roth's memoir, which he praised as fun and reflective of Roth's humour, with Hagar's 2011 book Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, saying he had no interest in reading it. Hagar's book previously drew scrutiny for detailing the "dark side" of Eddie Van Halen, something Hagar later said he regretted following the guitarist's 2020 death. After the interview clip was shared on Instagram, Hagar responded in the comments, calling the post "unnecessary" while conceding "the truth hurts sometimes." Hagar is currently preparing for a new run of his "Best of All Worlds" Las Vegas residency with Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Kenny Aronoff, and has invited Roth to join him following the cancellation of Roth's solo tour.