Mumford & Sons member Winston Marshall temporarily left the band after receiving backlash for praising a book written by a right-wing journalist.
“Over the past few days I have come to better understand the pain caused by the book I endorsed,” the banjoist, 33, said in a statement shared via Twitter on Tuesday, March 9. “I have offended not only a lot of people I don’t know, but also those closest to me, including my bandmates and for that I am truly sorry. As a result of my actions I am taking time away from the band to examine my blindspots.”
He added, “For now, please know that I realise how my endorsements have the potential to be viewed as approvals of hateful, divisive behavior. I apologise, as this was not at all my intention.”
Marshall’s announcement came after he raised eyebrows by complimenting Andy Ngo on his recently released bestseller, Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.
“Finally had the time to read your book,” the guitarist wrote in a since-deleted tweet on Sunday, March 7. “You’re a brave man.”
Marshall’s bandmates, Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Wane, have not publicly commented on him taking a break. Us Weekly has reached out to Mumford & Sons’ rep for comment.
The London-based folk-rock band was formed in 2007 and released their debut album, Sigh No More, two years later. In 2013, the group’s success skyrocketed after their sophomore effort, Babel, won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. They have since released two more albums: 2015’s Wilder Mind and 2018’s Delta.
Apart from his work with Mumford & Sons, Marshall has made headlines for his personal life. Shortly after his brief romance with Katy Perry in early 2015, the musician started dating Dianna Agron. Us Weekly broke the news in October 2016 that Marshall and the Glee alum, 34, tied the knot in Morocco.
Nearly four years later, in August 2020, Us exclusively reported that the former couple had called it quits. A source revealed at the time, “They have been living separately since last year. [Dianna] is dating.”
While Marshall and Agron have not publicly commented on their split, she has not worn her wedding ring since the news broke. It appears that they are still on good terms though, as the actress still follows both her estranged husband and his band on Instagram. He only follows one account, HK Link Up, the nonprofit organization he cofounded.
