I’ve got another confession to make…

In the music world, a few days after the announcement of the long-awaited Oasis reunion and the “dynamic pricing scandal”, another bomb has exploded. A few days ago Dave Grohl, leader of the Foo Fighters and long-time drummer of Nirvana, published a post on his Instagram page in which he explained that he had become a father for the fourth time, but of a daughter born out of wedlock with Jordyn Blum, to whom he has been married for more than 20 years and with whom he had three daughters – who disappeared from social media at the same time as the father’s announcement. The 55-year-old singer announced the birth of his daughter, apologizing to the family: “I will try to be a loving parent, I love my wife and daughters and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness”. Finally, he added: “We are grateful for your consideration towards all the children involved, as we move forward together”.

This betrayal has shaken the music world, generating a great outcry among the musician’s fans. The news surprised everyone, whether because of the fact that a daughter is involved, or because of the atypical way in which he announced it to the world – probably “put on the ropes” by someone, the media or otherwise -; but perhaps what caused the most surprise was the betrayal itself. In the world of ‘showbiz’ we are used to “horns”, but Dave Grohl has always enjoyed a reputation as a “nice guy”: over the years we have always seen him accompanied by his family, playing on stage proudly with his daughters, cooking barbecues for the poor of Los Angeles and participating in children’s TV programs such as ‘Sesame Street’. An atypical rock star, in short, never hit the headlines for scandalous or turbulent episodes, substance abuse or anything else – only recently had he started smoking again after the death of the Foo Fighters drummer and his great friend Taylor Hawkins.

When I opened Instagram on Tuesday night, the first post that appeared was the one announcing the betrayal and the birth of the baby girl. Quite predictable for someone like me who has had a giant photo of Dave Grohl on her bed for over ten years. And I must admit that I was speechless when I realized it wasn’t a “fake”. What, you too, Dave of my heart? If I can’t trust you, who can I trust then? My reaction, after all, was the same as that of many of Grohl’s fans around the world: on TikTok in recent days, many videos of disappointed fans have appeared. There are those who cry while listening to Foo Fighters songs, those who burn the pages of Dave’s autobiography or those who throw his cardboard cutout off the balcony.

These reactions have a logical explanation: in a world like rock, where authenticity is often considered more important than technical perfection, Dave has always maintained a clean and professional image of himself, giving a perception of integrity that made his betrayal a bolt from the blue. As if he had not only betrayed his wife and his family, but also a little of all of us. Do you remember when Robin Williams committed suicide ten years ago? No one could believe that that man with the kind smile, who on so many occasions and in so many different roles had made us laugh and feel emotions, could hide a “dark” part inside himself.

@littlephatlamb Letting go of my last bit of teenage angst in the best way possible #davegrohl ♬ My Hero – Foo Fighters

When we choose our personal hero and idealize him, we put on a pedestal a person who in reality is nothing more than, precisely, a person, with shortcomings and defects like everyone else. But what we see, what we know, is only a small part of the whole, and often superficial. So perhaps – and I say this first of all to myself – we should try to remember that our heroes are human beings like everyone else, who as such can make mistakes, betray, hurt, collapse.

@imchriswilson Everyone’s girlfriend reading about Dave Grohl #davegrohl #foofighters #secretbaby ♬ original sound – Chris Wilson

@imanoties there goes my hero….. WHY DAVE WHY #davegrohl #foofighters #cheater #fyp ♬ My Hero – Foo Fighters