Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus announced in a statement Monday that their band member Tom DeLonge split from Blink-182. Rumors that DeLonge, co-vocalist and longtime guitarist of the punk group, was leaving began when drummer Travis Barker recruited Alkaline Trio guitarist and singer Matt Skiba to play with the band at the eighth annual Musink Festival in Orange County, Calif. in March, according to KROQ. Blink-182’s bassist and singer Mark Hoppus and Barker said in a statement that DeLonge decided to leave the band “indefinitely” shortly after.

Hoppus and Barker explained that they were set to record a new album and play the festival, but DeLonge continued to delay their progress without giving a reason. A week prior to the band’s scheduled studio time, DeLonge’s manager sent them an email stating that he would not be participating in “any Blink-182 projects indefinitely.” His manager said that he would be working on “non-musical endeavors.”

Hoppus and Barker added that there are “no hard feelings” and they simply needed someone to take his place because “the show must go on.” The band members did not state how long Skiba will be collaborating with Blink-182, and Skiba is still set to tour and record with his own band.

Despite the announcement, Tom DeLonge posted via Instagram that he never quit the band and that only his availability would be limited. He said, “I love Blink-182 and I’m not leaving,” according to Radio.com. He called the press release “weird,” and he questioned its legitimacy. But recently, he has been promoting new music on social media from Angels & Airwaves, which is DeLonge’s other band.

Hoppus and Barker sat down with Rolling Stone to set the record straight. They said that they had been communicating with DeLonge via email for the past few months trying to sign a record deal. The three of them signed the deal in December, and everything seemed to be “moving positively.” They booked studio time just before receiving the email from DeLonge’s manager stating that he was out. When the band members asked for clarification, they said that the manager wrote “Tom.Is.Out.” in an email.

Hoppus said that their is no ambiguity concerning whether or not DeLonge is still with Blink-182. He added that he was not surprised by DeLonge’s decision to split from the band. Hoppus said he had not been very interested or excited for the new record. And he said that “things kept getting pushed back.”

When asked to respond to DeLonge’s claims on social media, Barker said that he thought DeLonge was just upset. In the past, the band members had always covered for him, but now they are being honest. Barker admitted that it is difficult to cover for someone who is “disrespectful and ungrateful.”

Hoppus said that the announcement made him feel relieved. However, he was also angered at DeLonge’s words. He said that DeLonge’s claim that he did not quit Blink-182 was “disingenuous.” He wished DeLonge happiness, and he said he hoped that he will stop “holding Blink-182 back.”

Blink-182 reunited after four years away from the spotlight. The group recorded the album Neighborhoods in 2011 and toured frequently. The status of their new album is unknown, but Hoppus said that he is focused on “protecting the legacy of Blink-182” and they will continue playing their songs.