Blink-182 would have disbanded years ago if Matt Skiba did not arrive, Tom DeLonge said.
Fans of Blink-182 received good news after the band recently reunited with Tom DeLonge following months-long of buzzes. The band has also been tapped to be part of the When We Were Young 2023 and headline the festival alongside Green Day.
Amid the good news, DeLonge credited Skiba for keeping the band alive after his departure.
On Instagram, the returning guitarist penned a heartfelt message to his replacement and thanked him for being with the band throughout his seven-year absence.
He reportedly sent it directly to Skiba but decided to share it with the world to make everyone know that he honors him.
"[But] to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day. So from my heart to yours, thank you for being a member of our band," he went on.
DeLonge noted how his relationship with Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker became complicated, leading to their "friendly divorce." But after Hoppus' cancer diagnosis, they reportedly saw things in perspective again.
In April 2021, Hoppus revealed he had a stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in April. Lymphoma Research Foundation explains that DLBCL is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is caused by the cancer cells that develop from abnormal B cells.
He won against the disease and made his return during Halloween, cosplaying Batman and performing Blink-182 songs at the House of Horrors with Travis Barker.
Skiba led the band to release EPs, including "California," "Nine," and "Quarantine."
Is Matt Skiba Still Part of Blink-182?
After DeLonge's statement, fans started asking whether he would permanently return and oust Skiba from the group.
As of press time, even Skiba himself does not know his status.
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In July, a fan asked him why he has no "Blink" content on his account and why the band does not post a picture of him, as well. At that time, he said he does not know whether he would remain part of the band.
Still, he expressed how grateful he is for his time with Blink-182.
Meanwhile, Blink-182's reunion with DeLonge was somewhat expected since Hoppus told GQ he was open to working with him again. He also wanted to play in a four-member band alongside Skiba.
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