DISTURBED's DAVID DRAIMAN Opens Up About His Recent Divorce: 'I Need The Music Right Now More Than I Ever Have'

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman has confirmed that he recently finalized his divorce from his wife of 11 years, Lena Draiman.

The 50-year-old singer opened up about his split in a new interview with Kyle Meredith. Speaking about why DISTURBED continues to make music and stay creative after being together for nearly 30 years, David said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Therapy. [Laughs] It's as pure and simple as that. Right now for me it's the most effective form of therapy.

"I'm very much looking forward to the performance end of things, which is coming up shortly, but the creative end is the perfect way to come to terms with your demons, and I'm definitely stocked up," he explained. "I need this, and I need the music — creating it, performing it, living it — right now more than I ever have.

"I just recently finalized my divorce. I just recently said goodbye to my Akita [dog], my best friend of 14 years. There's gonna be plenty of inspiration for the next body of work. Battling depression, battling all the demons that normally come along with it. And I know that music — our music, other music like it and different types of music in general — is just the perfect means of therapy for so many other people. And it really is my saving grace. I don't know what I would do without it."

Draiman touched upon his divorce again later in the interview when the conversation turned to the DISTURBED song "Don't Tell Me", which appears on the band's latest album "Divisive". A duet with HEART's Ann Wilson, the track was inspired by DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan's own recent divorce. "Mine hadn't been finalized yet [when the song was written]," David revealed. "And to be honest, when I wrote the song, I didn't realize how prophetic it was going to be. I kind of hate that shit. [Laughs] It ended up becoming not just about Dan's divorce, unfortunately. It wasn't exactly the same situation, but I definitely have added reverence for the song, and it has added meaning and power to me, especially now."

When David first announced his divorce on his Facebook page in February, he described himself as "heartbroken" and "very lost" and revealed that there was "no infidelity" involved in the split. He went on to say that there was "no bad blood" between him and his now-ex-wife and added that they would "continue to be the best parents" we can be to their son Samuel, who was born in September 2013. "Lena is still the best mother I could ever hope for, so we've got that going for us," he wrote at the time. He added: "I will continue to try to be the best father, and frontman that I can be, and I hope that Sam can forgive me one day for my part in this failure."

Last November, Donegan told the Z93 radio station that DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren also "went through a divorce early on in the pandemic."

A little over a year ago, Draiman and his then-wife and son moved to Miami, Florida after living in Honolulu, Hawaii for a few years.

Draiman first announced his family's decision to relocate to Miami in February 2022, explaining on his Facebook page that he and his then-wife "gave it our best shot, but between the extraordinarily long travel times for business, island fever, and a bunch of other factors, we've decided to move on." He also shared a link to a video tour of his then-Honolulu home which had just been listed. That house has since sold for more than $6 million, according to public records.

Draiman had reportedly previously owned properties in Austin, Texas; a Wicker Park home in the Chicago area; a Northridge, California home in the Sherwood Forest area; and a house in Sherman Oaks, California. In 2018, Draiman told Austin American-Statesman that he left Austin after living there for eight years because his son struggled with allergies in Texas's capital city.

"Divisive" came out last November. The LP was recorded earlier last year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

Photo courtesy of David Draiman's Instagram