Wolfgang Van Halen has taken to Twitter to retort a critic that accused him of “leeching off” his father’s name, in the weeks following Eddie Van Halen’s death.

Last week, Wolfgang unveiled news that he would be releasing his debut solo single, ‘Distance’, of his forthcoming solo album. The track was penned for Eddie.

“‘Distance’ is a song that was initially written for the debut album, but was going to be held for a later time,” Wolfgang explained in a statement at the time.

“As my pop continued to struggle with various health issues, I was imagining what my life would be like without him and how terribly I’d miss him. While this song is incredibly personal, I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their own life.”

He added: “I never anticipated ‘Distance’ would be the first song of mine that people would hear, but I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release along with me. This is for him.”

In response to the song’s announcement, one critic accused Wolfgang of riding on the coattails of his father’s death.

“Still leeching off of your father’s name I see,” the offensive tweet read. “You talentless fucking hack. Leave the band and give your spot back to its rightful owner you lowlife cunt.”

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Wolfgang responded: “I don’t have the energy to come up with a joke for this, just look at this lame asshole lol. What a sad life this dude must lead.”

When a fan told Wolfgang to ignore the criticism, he responded, he responded: “Dude I’m literally laughing at it. How much more do you want me to let go?”

‘Distance’ will arrive on November 16th. Wolfgang Van Halen is set to feature on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show to commemorate the release. This will mark the guitarist’s first interview since the death of his father.

Eddie Van Halen passed away in October following a lengthy battle with throat cancer. 

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