The family of late MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza says that David Ellefson's recent sex scandal has not affected its decision to partner with the former MEGADETH bassist and his Ellefson Films on the upcoming feature-length documentary "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza". Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late MEGADETH drummer's life. Nick's family has released the following statement regarding the matter: "The Menza family would like to take this opportunity to respond to some comments that were made made via Instagram in regard to the upcoming Nick Menza documentary film 'This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza'. "To be clear, certain actions by others do not dictate our decision making. There are always two sides to every story. We do not know the facts nor do we pretend to know the truth. While the most recent events have been unfortunate to everyone involved, it has not altered our decision to welcome David Ellefson to be a part of this project. "Nick and David remained close friends post-MEGADETH and he has remained in close contact with Nick's sister since Nick's passing. Ellefson was gracious enough to present the Hall Of Heavy Metal History award presented to Nick in 2018, so it was only fitting that he narrate the documentary. "We are excited for the fans to see the life Nick lived before, during, and after MEGADETH. It was quite the journey. "Stay tuned for an epic documentary. As Nick would say, 'It's gonna be RAD.' "Thank you for the continuous support in keeping Nick's legacy alive." In a 40-second video promoting his involvement with the documentary, Ellefson said: "I am proud to announce I will narrate/co-produce the upcoming documentary film 'This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza' and I look forward to sharing together with you the life story of one of music's most celebrated rock star drummers of all time, Nick Menza." Menza's longtime personal manager Robert Bolger said: "I am very happy to connect David Ellefson with Screaming Butterfly Entertainment to narrate/co-produce the project. Ellefson's involvement and knowledge will secure the authenticity of the film. They both spent a lot of personal time together touring world, and if anyone knew Nick best, it's David Ellefson. "Nick loved his fans and always said without the fans none this would be possible. I really think Nick's fans will enjoy this journey through his life." Executive producer/director Holly Mollohan from Screaming Butterfly Entertainment added: "I am very happy to welcome David Ellefson to the 'This Was My Life' team. He brings with him a wealth of in-depth knowledge and personal experience that will be so valuable to making this film something very special for the fans and Nick's family. I believe that his involvement will be an extremely positive addition to the project, and am excited to collaborate with him on the film." In conjunction with the announcement of Ellefson's attachment to the film, an Indiegogo campaign has been launched to raise funding for the completion of the film. Fans have the opportunity to support the production of the film directly, as well as obtain some rare official Nick Menza memorabilia. These items include various Nick Menza personally owned items — some with authentic signatures from Nick himself. In addition to memorabilia, fans can purchase brand new Nick Menza merchandise including hats, posters, and even Nick Menza skateboard decks. Fans can even have their names and a message added to the end credits of the film. The campaign can be found at this location. "This Was My Life" will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic 'Rust In Peace' lineup." "This Was My Life" will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with. A screenshot from the film was recently released that featured an interview with former LAMB OF GOD/MEGADETH drummer Chris Adler. Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Five months ago, Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH after sexually explicit photos and video of the bassist leaked online along with allegations that he had been grooming a fan, which he vehemently denied. A short time after after the messages and video footage involving him were posted on Twitter, Ellefson filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was dismissed from the group.
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