‘God Was There After All’ - Cradle of Filth Keyboardist Quits Band Mid-Tour, Dani Filth Responds

Cradle of Filth's Zoe Smerda (ne Federoff) has exited the band mid-tour and both she and band leader and namesake Dani Filth have issued statements about the sudden exit.

What Did Zoe Smerda Say About Her Exit From Cradle of Filth?

In an initial posting to her social media, the keyboardist and backing vocalist shared, "It is with deep regret I share that for personal reasons I am unable to continue this tour and continue in general with Cradle of Filth."

She added, "Please respect my privacy and my family’s privacy. I will answer no further questions. Be kind to my successor. I wish her and my now former bandmates well.
At least, like Roy Khan said over a decade ago, God was there after all."

But about four hours later, the musician returned to social media after her initial announcement began to lead to wild speculation about her reasoning behind the move.

Smerda shared, "Couple clarifying points since so many people decided to speculate in the nastiest possible ways."

She stated that Ashok, her husband and Cradle of Filth bandmate, "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," she explained.

She added, "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."

What Did Dani Filth Say About Zoe Smerda's Exit?

Within his comment on the sudden lineup change, Dani Filth called it "a strange turn of events" and revealed that Kelsey Peters will now handle backing vocals for the band.

Filth's statement did not appear to have any animosity as he added, "We, of course, wish her all the best for the future."

His full statement, posted to Dani's Instagram, can be read below.

A strange turn of events have manifested out here on tour for CRADLE OF FILTH in South America.

Our keyboardist/backing singer Zoe Smerda has chosen to leave the band mid-tour, effective immediately.

We, of course, wish her all the best for the future and we as a band will continue onward and upward as always with a replacement singer here in Kelsey Peters, one of the very talented CREWDLE members.

In life, one cannot always foresee what the future holds for us, but we will remain ever-professional and continue on with 'The Screaming Of The Americas' concerts for our fans without allowing any of this to sully our onward trajectory.

So, our South and Central American brethren, we will see you at the next spat of relentless shows.

The shows have already been incredible in Brazil and we are just so exceptionally appreciative of your massive and passionate attendance, my friends and fiends alike.

Long live the FILTH!

How Zoe Smerda Has Balanced Cradle of Filth + Religion

"At least, like Roy Khan said over a decade ago, God was there after all," Smerda shared in her exit statement.

For those wondering if religion played a role in her exit, the keyboardist and singer has addressed how she balanced her religious background with Cradle of Filth's messaging in the past.

READ MORE: Dani Filth Gets Engaged Onstage At Download 2025

Speaking with Belgian Jasper, Smerda commented, "I don't think I've ever said this before, but like Tom Araya from Slayer, I'm actually Catholic. And so a lot of people are surprised about that."

"But you're in an extreme blackened metal band," posited the keyboardist. "Well, it's art. It's freedom of expression and frankly speaking in my mind Mainstream Jesus is a cunt. You've got this Republican Jesus who's fine with guns shooting up schools and things like that. That Jesus is absolutely a cunt and I support the freedom of my band to say these things."

Cradle of Filth's Zoe Smerda Speaks With Belgian Jasper About Balancing Band + Religion

Cradle of Filth in 2025

While Smerda has stepped away from the group, it appears as though the band has quickly resolved how to handle her absence. As Filth stated, Kelsey Peters will take over her backing vocal duties. It has not been revealed how they will handle keyboards, though drummer Marthus Skaroupka has had a hand in keyboards and orchestrations for years.

The band is currently in the midst of a South American tour that carries over into Mexico next month. In mid-November, they'll kick off a European tour that will finish out their touring year on Dec. 7 in Antwerp, Belgium.

For all Cradle of Filth tour dates and ticketing info, be sure to visit their website.