Former CRADLE OF FILTH keyboardist and backing vocalist Zoë Marie Federoff has shared a new statement on her social media addressing speculation surrounding her sudden departure from the band earlier this week.
In her post, Zoë clarified: “Couple clarifying points since so many people decided to speculate in the nastiest possible ways.
“-Ashok isn’t cheating. While the turmoil of being in the band has taken its toll on us, we remain very much certain that we love each other. Please be kind to my husband. He is a good man.
“-We were already planning to leave the band later this year. Certain events have sped that up for me.
At this time there is nothing further I wish to clarify and I’d appreciate keeping the ugly rumors off my page and out of my inbox.
“Please enjoy the remaining shows on this tour and give a lot of love to Kelsey, who is one of the greatest singers I’ve ever been privileged to hear. You’ll love her.”
Federoff’s statement comes after a wave of online speculation following her announcement on August 24 that she was stepping down mid-tour for personal reasons. Her departure coincided with CRADLE OF FILTH’s “Screaming of the Americas” tour, which continues with Kelsey Peters filling in on backing vocals.
In the comments under her latest post, one fan referenced a message Zoë and guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda shared in January after their marriage, in which they said: “We have no plans to leave COF as we truly enjoy working together, not to mention working with several of our closest friends. Dani has been the greatest and most supportive leader possible when it comes to our engagement.
We remain happily committed to his team in COF.”
Responding to the fan, Zoë acknowledged: “something has indeed changed but it’s nothing I care to get into at this point in time.”
Zoë joined CRADLE OF FILTH in 2022 and contributed to the band’s most recent album, The Screaming of the Valkyries, released in March 2025. She married Ashok earlier this year in what fans described as one of the most “metal weddings” in recent memory. While she has now exited CRADLE OF FILTH, Ashok appears to remain a member of the band.
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