Daniel Johns discusses marriage to Natalie Imbruglia, shocking fan incidents on new podcast

Former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns has opened up about his years in the spotlight, addressing his marriage to Natalie Imbruglia in a bombshell interview.

From his reasons for leaving Silverchair, his marriage to Natalie Imbruglia, and the shockingly dark side of fame, Aussie music legend Daniel Johns is opening up about his life in the global spotlight in a bombshell new podcast.

In Who is Daniel Johns? the 42-year-old rock star and his industry colleagues reflect on his life and career — having catapulted to fame at just 15 when the band’s single Tomorrow was released in 1992.

Why he’ll never front the band again

In the first episode of the podcast, Johns bluntly confirmed the band would never reform with him at the helm.

Silverchair called it quits 2011, before the Sydney guitarist debuted as a solo artist in 2015 with a four-track EP.

Addressing his decision to walk away from the highly successful group, Johns revealed he had even got rid all of his memorabilia, awards and mementos, saying: “It’s not that I am not proud of it, but for some reason I don’t want it around.”

“I wouldn’t even get Silverchair back together for a million dollars with a gun to my head,” he added.

Johns performing in Silverchair in 1996.

Dangerous fan incidents marred his career

Johns was one of the most lusted-after teenage heart-throbs of the ‘90s — with the podcast delving into the frightening lengths fans would go to in order to meet him.

As a result, he was “really, really anxious” when provided with “around the clock” security who followed him around everywhere he went, according to the band’s former manager John Watson.

Watson went on to tell the haunting story of how an older French woman stalked Johns, stole his mother’s wallet and tried to get to him backstage at concerts using her driver’s license.

Devastatingly, he recalled another fan with an American accent threatening to shoot themselves if Watson didn’t put the singer on the phone, despite Watson assuring the fan Johns wasn’t there.

Silverchair’s former manager told several shocking stories about Johns’ diehard fans.

While urging them to seek help, he said the fan continued to make the threat, until a “bang” ended the phone call.

“The person came in over the top of me and said: ‘Put him on in the next 10 seconds or I am going to shoot myself’,” Watson said.

“(I said) ‘There are people you can call for help’. And then a bang. I still don’t know if that person killed themselves or they were just trying to talk to Daniel.”

He claimed another woman called him in hysterics saying she was “pregnant with Daniel’s baby”.

After learning it was not possible that Johns had ever met the woman in question, she replied: “ahh well, it was worth a try”.

Marriage to Natalie Imbruglia

Promoting the podcast on The Project on Wednesday night, Johns said he didn’t speak to his ex-wife, singer Natalie Imbruglia, for 10 years after their divorce in 2008.

The couple married in 2003, but split just five years later, with Daniel revealing he now considers Natalie, 46, a good friend.

“We’re friends now. But to be honest, we didn’t talk for about 10 years,” he told the panel.

Imbruglia and Johns split after five years of marriage.

“When we were married, I was in my 20s. I was incapable of learning how to be responsible. I didn’t know how to use a phone. I was touring all the time.

“And then, I don’t know, I took it of my own volition and said, ‘Why are we not talking?’ I didn’t really understand and she was like, ‘I don’t know why we’re not talking either!’”

Struggles with mental health

Elsewhere in his interview on The Project, Johns candidly addressed his battle with mental health, describing himself as “a pretty fragile person”.

Daniel Johns at the APRA Music Awards in 2008.

“It took me years and years and years of really heavy, heavy therapy,” he said of finally finding himself in a place where he’s happy.

“I gave up millions and millions and possibilities endlessly just to be internally happy,” he added of quitting his band at the height of their fame.

Upcoming episodes of Who is Daniel Johns? will also feature Johns’ ex-wife Natalie Imbruglia, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, and will unveil new music each week as a new episode is released on Spotify.

Originally published as Daniel Johns discusses marriage to Natalie Imbruglia, shocking fan incidents on new podcast