Rivinsä vuosikausien tauon jälkeen koonneen Soundgardenin Ben Shepherd on selvitellyt sanomisiaan Soundgardenin kotisivulla.
Spin-lehden laajassa jutussa Shepherd kertoi olevansa periaatteessa koditon. "En oikeastaan asu missään. Olen nukkunut studion sohvalla ja ystävieni kulmissa. Olen täysin rahaton", tarinassa kerrotaan basistin sanoneen.
Soundgardenin hajoaminen vuonna 1997 otti myös kovilla: "Elämäni oli lopussa… Jäin koukkuun lääkkeisiin, otin yliannostuksen morfiinia ja niin edelleen".
Shepherd pahoittelee yhtyeen kotisivuilla julkaistussa pitkässä tekstissä muun muassa sitä, että "oikeasti asunnottomat" ihmiset ovat pahoittaneet mielensä hänen sanomisistaan.
Muusikon lausunto kokonaisuudessaan:
"I feel the banner saying that I am homeless was merely a sensationalizing stunt done by workers at Spin magazine to sell their story, or make it seem more exciting than it actually is. It makes me feel embarrassed for the truly homeless people to be associated at all in any way with the likes of me. I seem to have been lucky, as most of you, in never having to survive day to day (on the streets) anyway. Furthermore, my friends and family have always been by my side so I have never gone without love, care, food, compassion, and understanding.
I would actually like to thank whatever editor that played this hand for helping once again bring to light the subject of the homeless and uncared for human beings of this dangerously bleak world.
I humbly ask for whoever reads this to realize we are all in this together, and try to just remember that once in a while and not only at some convenient time.
I in no way refute what was written in the article, I say what I mean with someone else’s alphabet, so it is no wonder to me that my blathering can be so easily ’shined up’ or misinterpreted to whatever purpose, especially to a stranger who has no idea of my horrible humor, or my delusional ideas. There I was thinking I was on top of the world, doing what i love and GET to do (music, I mean). Sure I’ve been couch surfing, but that’s a far cry from the plight of many many millions of good people worldwide.
I just don’t want our loyal and most badderasser fans to be misled, or a bad light to be shone upon my family or friends who have helped me and tried to help me get along. It would be wholly unfair of me after all this to not stand up for them."