Neil Perry has claimed he was 'forced out' of The Band Perry by his sister Kimberly Perry and her husband, Johnny Costello. The musician took to social media to say he was 'terminated' by his older sister, apparently receiving the news the day after his birthday.
Band's formation and hiatus
The country trio, best known for their song If I Die Young, was originally formed by siblings Neil, Kimberly, and Reid in the 2000s. After signing to Republic Nashville in 2009, they released two albums and toured consistently until officially going on hiatus in 2023.
In August 2025, the band announced they would return without Neil, 36. Kimberly's husband, Johnny Costello, took over backing vocals while Reid returned on bass. However, by October, Reid had also quietly left the band.
Neil's social media posts
Fans were unaware of the situation until Neil shared exasperated social media posts. Joining a social media trend, he posted a video of himself sitting in a chair surrounded by awards, with the caption: 'Preparing for my Netflix documentary about how the Band Perry went from three siblings to my sister and her husband.'
He then shared clips of Kimberly, 43, saying her brothers had given their 'blessing' for her to continue without them. Neil disputed this, calling it a 'misrepresentation' of his 'current vision of the band'. He revealed the siblings were not on 'consistent speaking terms' and that Reid, 37, had 'stopped engaging in both personal and business matters'.
Claims of being forced out
Neil said Kimberly approached him about bringing the band out of hiatus, and they agreed that moving forward with Reid was not an option. Reid declined to rejoin, and Kimberly allegedly gave Neil three options: move forward as a duo, hold auditions, or have her husband step in. 'I was fine with the first two, but soon understood Kimberly wanted to move forward with the third,' he said. 'We ultimately decided not to proceed.'
Neil did not voice personal issues with Johnny, who married Kimberly in 2021, but made clear he didn't want someone 'taking his brother's place'. The situation took a twist when Reid rejoined the band 'through conversations [Neil] was not part of'. Neil claims he was given three days to decide if he wanted to be part of the comeback, and when he asked for a conversation the following week, 'I was told I was out of time.'
'I was approached again a month later, but I could not move forward under those circumstances. At that point I understood that continuing to tour was no longer realistically an option for me and I would soon be forced out by the 2/3 partnership agreement,' he stated. He said he 'did not agree' to 'losing my financial interest and access to the resources and business I had spent my life helping build.'
Regarding Reid's departure, Neil said it happened 'shortly after' the band re-signed with original label Big Machine. Reid posted on his rarely used Instagram to inform fans of his decision, wishing his sister 'the best' in the future.
New band and reaction
The Band Perry went on to release two new singles – their first in nine years – with just Johnny and Kimberly. Neil has started a new band named Wolves of June, a nod to when he realised he had been replaced. 'June 2024 took something from me,' he explained. 'Something I had spent my entire life building. A band. A business. A family. A name.'
He claimed the situation had become about 'far more' than just the lineup, feeling that trust had been broken which 'fundamentally changed my ability to move forward'. 'Then I watched a story emerge that didn't resemble the one I lived,' he continued. 'The anger became music. The grief became songs. The loss became freedom… June 2024 took the old life. @wolvesofjune is what came next.'
Kimberly and her husband have not yet addressed Neil's message but have been sharing clips from recent live shows and teasing new music. They have switched off commenting on their Instagram after being bombarded with questions about 'kicking out' the brothers. Metro has reached out to The Band Perry for comment.
