Why did Tom DeLonge really leave Blink-182? The truth of his departure and journey back to the band

13 December 2025, 13:00

The musician, who turns 50 this weekend, has been back with the pop-punk rockers since 2022 - but why did he leave in the first place?

By Radio X

@RadioX

Back in 2022, Blink-182 fans were overjoyed at the news that founding member Tom DeLonge was back in the fold.

On Tuesday 11th October, the band announced details of a new single titled Edging, a forthcoming new album and a world tour.

The new LP marked the first time that DeLonge had been in a studio with fellow band-members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker in more than a decade.

Though he was a founding member of the Californian band, Tom DeLonge left Blink-182 in 2015. He was replaced by Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba, who with Hoppus and Barker went on to release the band's seventh studio album, California, in 2016 and NINE in 2019.

blink-182 - EDGING (Official Video)

But why exactly did DeLonge he leave in the first place? It might seem as if tensions were high between DeLonge and his band mates... but it appeared he had bigger fish to fry. Namely; the proof of extraterrestrial life.

In 2019 in a post for his organisation To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science, DeLonge gave a definitive reason why he left the trio.

Speaking in a video, the All The Small Things rocker revealed “The last show I played was in front of 100,000 people and then they wonder why I’m not doing that now, and I’ll say because this is the one moment in my life where I’ll be able to look back as an old man and say, ‘Oh my god, I was a part of the team that changed the world'."

The Beginning of To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science

He continued: "As an artist, I'd kind of conquered what I wanted to do with music, so I thought this is a great time to kind of do something else".

As the clip shows early footage of the band, the musician finally reveals: "I left my band and all that I was known for, because this is the moment in time that I can change the world for my kids and everybody else's."

Read more:

• Travis Barker: Everything you should know about the Blink 182 drummer
• We've been singing Blink 182's What's My Age Again wrong all along...

While it has been widely reported that DeLonge seemed to leave his Blink 182 life behind to delve deeper into the truth behind UFOs, there could be more to his departure than meets the eye.

At the time of DeLonge leaving the band, things seemed strained between the trio.

In January 2015, the remaining members of Blink issued a statement which suggested their singer came to the decision quite suddenly.

They wrote in their official statement: "A week before we were scheduled to go in to the studio, we got an email from [Tom's] manager explaining that he didn’t want to participate in any Blink-182 projects indefinitely, but would rather work on his other non-musical endeavours.

"No hard feelings, but the show must go on for our fans."

However, in an open letter DeLonge claimed he'd "never quit the band".

In a post on his Facebook page, he wrote: "I love Blink and am incredibly grateful for having it in my life. It has given me everything...At the end of the day, all of this makes me really sad. Sad for us. Sad for you- that you’re witnessing this immaturity."

He added: "And even as I watch them act so different to what I know of them to be, I still care deeply for them. Like brothers, and like old friends. But our relationship got poisoned yesterday. Never planned on quitting, just find it hard as hell to commit."

Mark Hoppus surprises our SUPERFAN producer!

It wasn't the first time that Blink-182 has seen dissent in the ranks, however. In February 2005, the group announced they were going on "indefinite hiatus" after DeLonge complained about the band's heavy workload, telling Rolling Stone: "I think people just grow up and grow apart." He started his own project, Angels And Airwaves, while Hoppus and Barker founded the short-lived +44.

In 2008, there were two incidents that prompted Hoppus and DeLonge to reunite. Firstly, their producer Jerry Finn died of a a cerebral hemorrhage aged just 39. Then, Travis Barker was in a plane accident in 2008 that killed four people leaving the drummer and his friend Adam Goldstein as the only survivors.

These events prompted Hoppus and DeLonge to put their differences aside and Blink-182's first reunion was announced at the Grammy Awards in February 2009. However, the subsequent tours were still a source of tensions. "There was always just a strange vibe," Hoppus admitted.

Years later, Travis Barker revealed to Radio X why he chose to put gruesome pictures of his recovery in the autobiography.

"I got those pictures [taken] because Tom [DeLonge], especially, was pressuring me to fly again. I tried to explain it to him, like ‘I can’t do it yet, I’m not ready’.

"So I ended up showing Tom and Mark, although Mark was always very supportive from day one. He even visited me in the hospital."  

He added: "Whereas, with Tom, there was constant pressure."

Whether or not DeLonge's lack of support for Barker began to cause rifts in the band, or he left to pursue the truth about UFOs - or there was simply a massive misunderstanding between the band members - it's clear that by 2015 the musician's priorities had changed.

Despite this public disagreement, both sides remained open to reconciliation.

In 2019, Mark Hoppus revealed he'd spoken to his former bandmate, and though they were happy doing their own thing, he'd "never say never" about a reunion.

Asked by Radio X's Polly James if the bromance between them was alive and well, Hoppus revealed: "I talked to him not too long ago, a couple of months [ago] right before we left to go out on this [Enema of the State anniversary] tour, actually."

He added: "He's good. Very Happy. He seems like he's in a good place."

Quizzed if we would ever see DeLonge back in the band's line-up again, the Dammit singer replied: "I don't know. Never say never.

"We haven't even talked about it. Like I said, he's very happy with what he's doing and we're very happy with what we're doing and we'll see what the future holds."

Hoppus even piled on the compliments for his ex-bandmate in another interview and admitted that Blink's "best work" took place when Tom Delonge was in the band.

Speaking to Alt Press, he mused: "There was a real unity of spirit in the band; [it’s] when the band found itself".

"When Tom was in the band, that’s when Blink did its best work,” he added. "Now post-Tom, with Matt in the band, we’re approaching songs differently."

Blink 182 on whether they're recognised by UK fans

This situation was not to last, however. In July 2022, Matt Skiba was asked by a fan if he was still in Blink-182. He'd not appeared on the lockdown song Quarantine, released in August 2020 and replied: "Your guess is as good as mine.

“Regardless, I am very proud of and thankful for my time with Blink 182. We shall see…”

As foreshadowed by Skiba, the writing was on the wall for the Alkaline Trio rocker and by the time October came around that year, the All The Small Things outfit had made the big announcement, telling their fans: "We’re coming. Tour’s coming. Album’s coming. Tom’s coming".

Tom DeLonge explained that his divorce with his now ex-wife Jennifer was the the initial reason he called ex-bandmate and Blink-182 co-founder Mark Hoppus.

DeLonge told Apple Music: "The way the universe works is strange because I reached out to Mark because I needed him to sign this piece of paper that had to do with my divorce".

Little did DeLonge know when he went to make the call, but Hoppus had been diagnosed with stage four cancer.

DeLonge ontinued: "Only because of that call did I learn he had cancer. And he told me on the phone. I was like, 'Wait, what?'"

In September 2021, Hoppus announced he was cancer-free, and - though his hair had grown back grey after chemotherapy and he had to teach himself how to play bass again - the Blink rocker was fighting fit.

While we will never know if Tom and Mark would have ever fully healed their relationship had Tom not called him about signing paperwork for his divorce, it's probably fair to say that it may not have happened as quickly.

But it still might have not been the reunion we see today if Barker wasn't also undergoing huge change as well. In August 2021, the drummer flew on a plane for the first time since the fatal plane crash in 2008, which killed four and left him with third degree burns over 65% of his body.

Tom DeLonge returned to the Blink-182 bosom and the band have been playing dates across the globe ever since, with a memorable first gig at Coachella 2023 and upgrade to headline status the following week after Frank Ocean dropped out.

Naturally, the trio had to service some of their biggest fans on this side of the pond, with dates in the UK, which included two memorable nights at The O2, London.

Blink 182 perform One More Time at The O2, London

Three years on from their reconciliation and it doesn't feel like DeLonge is going anywhere. In fact, both DeLonge and Hoppus have hinted that they were working on new Blink material. They've even buried the hatchet with Matt Skiba, who appeared with the band at a Los Angeles wildfire benefit show in February 2025.