Former My Chemical Romance Drummer Bob Bryar Faced Serious Criticism Before His Death

In November 2024, Bob Bryer, former My Chemical Romance drummer, was confirmed dead. While some want to know what happened to the musician, others can't help but remember what he was infamous for in some ways rather than what made him famous as a musician. And that all stems from some racism controversy linked to Bryar well before his passing.

Bryar was the drummer of My Chemical Romance for years, and the longest-running drummer the band maintained. He left in 2010, but a formal and official reason was never given to fans. Instead, the band shared with fans that departing with Bryar was "a painful decision" at the time. Even though Bryar's name remains synonymous with the success of the band, he also faced controversy outside of My Chemical Romance.

Not only did Bryar share social media posts regarding defamatory things about Black people, but he also shared transphobic posts on X, most of which were deleted afterward, but not before other users took screenshots to distribute online. One post on X that he once made declared that police should "just kill them all" in reference to a Black Lives Matter protest.

He also once allegedly posted an image on Instagram of coffee beans and text at the top of the picture that said "find Kanye" in reference to Kanye West. For many, Bryar's history with offensive posts and intolerance overshadows anything else he did during his lifetime before, during, and after his role as the My Chemical Romance drummer.

Bryar also came under fire for his far right political views, but his mental health struggles were also a talking point among fans. Paired with the racism controversy, there were a lot of things that Bryar said openly or shared online that his former fans still talked about long after he left My Chemical Romance.

Some users on X posted their thoughts about Bryar's racist allegations and controversies following his passing. One user shared that Bryar had been "slinging slurs just days before his death." Another wrote, "Death doesn't make you a saint. I will not forgive a racist because he's dead now." They added that "Bob Bryar would not care if a minority took his place" and that "he wouldn't give them that same sympathy."

Even though My Chemical Romance shared that it was difficult to move on without Bob, he later revealed to fans a different side of things. In 2015, he posted on X (then Twitter) and claimed that things had ended between himself and My Chemical Romance drastically different than what fans had been led to believe.

"After being kicked out of MyChem, I became the most depressed, angry, suicidal person ever," he allegedly wrote at the time, per Blunt. However, since the deleted post is no longer on X, it's unclear what else Bryar wrote at the time. He did, however, reportedly say that his mental health had improved. But it seems like he and the rest of the band did not part on the best terms, once upon a time.