Last summer during a Heart show in Seattle, Dean Stuart Wetter — the husband of Heart singer Ann Wilson — was arrested for assaulting Nancy Wilson’s twin sons backstage after they did not close the tour bus doors behind them like they were apparently asked. Last month, Wetter pleaded guilty to two non-felony assault charges in the fourth degree, and he’s accepted a plea deal that will allow him to avoid jail time as long as he has no contact with Nancy Wilson’s sons and agrees to attend counseling and group therapy.

Heart are now on hiatus, and the sisters haven’t been in the same room since their most recent tour wrapped up in October. (The remainder of the tour after the assault was described as “excruciating” and “complete hell.”) They’ve both embarked on new projects — Ann touring under the name Ann Wilson Of Heart, and Nancy starting a band called Roadcase Royale with a few members of the Heart touring band and some Prince associates. And they’ve both opened up (separately) to Rolling Stone for a new feature, using the publication as a sort of intermediary to air each side of the situation.

“I’m an eternal optimist because I’m from a really strong, tight family, and I don’t think any drama that’s temporary is going to change our strong relationship,” Nancy told Rolling Stone. “We just have to get through this first. It’s been kind of a nightmare.”

“I do see a positive way forward and that’s our friendship,” Ann says. “Nancy and I didn’t do this thing. We are each other’s friends and have been and will after this. Right now, we’re supporting each of our families. Nobody in this situation is evil. We have to be like trees that grow around the little imperfections.”

Though they both may believe that everything will work out in the end, for now the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers seem to be at a standstill. They describe their relationship as “pretty strained,” and it’s unclear when or if they’ll get back together again.

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