Mark Hoppus: Blink-182 going through 'friendly divorce' with Tom DeLonge

Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker haven’t been shy about implying—and, in some cases, outright stating—that Tom DeLonge is no longer part of Blink-182, but Hoppus made it extra-clear in a new interview with the Das Process podcast. According to Hoppus, the band is “going through what so far has been a friendly divorce” with DeLonge.

When word initially got out that DeLonge was out, the guitarist denied the claims. Since then, he’s clarified on social media that he’s busy working on solo projects (including Angels & Airwaves) and that Hoppus and Barker announced his departure without his knowledge.

But according to Hoppus, it was all DeLonge’s decision: “This time when we got the call that Tom was out and that he didn’t want to do Blink anymore, it was almost like, ‘oh, okay,'” Hoppus said. “I was crushed because we were set to go into the studio and we were set to do all these things and I was bummed that Tom doesn’t want to do Blink. It’s like, man, you have this huge beautiful thing that we spent 20 years building and you just walk away from it.”

Hoppus went on to discuss how records would be delayed because of DeLonge, and how it was almost a relief to hear him say, “I want out.”

“It was almost like, ‘Man, I’m proud of you,'” Hoppus said. “I’m happy of you. Like, go do your thing now.”

Hoppus can’t give “a date or a time” when Blink is going to come back with new material, but says it’s going to happen and that it’s “exciting to think that we’re going to move forward.”

A rep for DeLonge did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.