Once upon a time, Staind and Limp Bizkit were tight bros. Bizkit signed Staind to their label Flip Records and helped them find an audience back in the late ’90s. Together they were part of the nü metal extravaganza known as the Family Values Tour, where Staind’s Aaron Lewis recorded the seminal live version of scorned-man ballad “Outside” with Fred Durst on backing vocals. It was a #1 hit on the Hot Mainstreak Rock chart and a staple of MTV2. They were the real motherfucking deal, y’all. I’m feeling those lighters!

But almost two decades have passed since then, and these days Lewis can see through Bizkit — see through to the real Bizkit.

In the intervening years, Lewis went on to become a low-key country star, releasing songs like “Northern Redneck” and singing the national anthem at the World Series. He has taken the Kid Rock path. Whereas Durst has become a marginally acclaimed filmmaker, and his bandmate Wes Borland has become even more iconoclastic than he was during Bizkit’s heyday, openly expressing contempt for the audience that made his band famous. He even gave an interview to that hipster rag Stereogum!

Now, as Blabbermouth points out, Borland and Lewis are embroiled in a feud. It started when Borland told a story about Lewis to the Talk Toomey podcast:

Aaron Lewis came up to me in an airport randomly. I was visiting my parents in Jacksonville and flying back to LA. And… I just happened to run into him and hadn’t seen him in awhile. He goes, “Where are you headed?” And I went, “I’m going home.” And he goes, “Home?” And I went, “Yeah, I just visited my parents. I’m going back home to LA.” And, for the record, I’ve lived in LA longer than I’ve lived in any other city in my life. And he goes… Aaron looks at me and he kind of turns his chin up and he goes, “Nah, man. Remember where you came from. Florida is your home, not LA. That’s home.” And I just went, “Fuck you, man.” And I never talked to him again after that.

After clarifying that the incident happened “way before” Lewis launched his country career, Borland continued:

That guy is such a dickhead. So full of himself, such a dickhead. I wish nothing but the worst for him. Amen. I could not believe the audacity and just, like, pretentiousness — especially for somebody that acts like they’re like a country boy now and they’re from Illinois. Anyway, digusting person. No, thanks. Peace… I don’t wanna a shit talker, but I have no problem talking shit about that guy. He’s terrible.

Lewis, unsurprisingly, has not taken kindly to Borland’s assessment. During a show last weekend at the Orleans Showroom Theater in Las Vegas, Lewis told his side of the story:

Wes Borland, who I love dearly, who obviously has some fucking things to say about me. Fuck that motherfucker! I know that I started this with “I love him dearly,” because he’s part of the whole reason that I’m standing here right now in front of you. And I find it really fucked up that…

This is what happened, OK? This is how it happened. This is exactly how it happened. And I don’t know how the fuck he came up with what he came up with. But I’m gonna tell you what happened.

I saw this motherfucking bougie motherfucker riding on a fucking golf cart in the airport to his gate. I ended up at a gate really close to him. I went up to him. I said, “Wes, what’s up, brother? I miss you. I haven’t seen you in forever. How have you been? Good?” This, that and the other thing. I’m, like, “Where are you headed?” He’s like, “I’m headed home — to Los Angeles.” And I’m like, “Hey, motherfucker, that ain’t home. Remember, you’re from Jacksonville, fucking Florida.” That’s how it went down.

Sounds like the same story to me? Anyway, Aaron continued:

Have you seen the interview? Have you heard the podcast? That’s how it went down.

Brother, don’t forget where the fuck you’re from. You’re from Jacksonville, Florida. You’re not from Los Angeles, fucking California. You’re from Jacksonville. You’re a real person. You’re not the plastic, fucked-up people that live in fucking Los Angeles.

Let me intervene to remind you that Lewis was delivering this screed to an audience in Las Vegas, Nevada. He kept going:

And for that — for that — for reminding my brother, one of the people that are responsible for me standing in front of you this evening, reminding my fucking brother where the fuck he’s from… And now I’m the biggest piece of shit to ever fucking walk the face of the earth. So, you know what? Wes Borland, you bougie motherfucker, I give all the credit to this next song to Fred. Fuck you.

So this isn’t even really a Rashomon situation, it’s just two dudes with a very different perspective on what it means to be authentic responding very differently to the same interaction. Upon learning of Lewis’ response, Borland posted on Instagram, “Hopefully this means that I never have to endure interfacing with him again.” Watch Lewis unload below.

A post shared by Wes Borland (@thewesborland) on Apr 16, 2018 at 6:20pm PDT