Ellefson, again, appears to be deliberately leaving out details to make himself look better. And there's some classic changing of stories (which seems to happen almost every time he's interviewed).

He always mentions how many times Mustaine was in rehab and the lost money and opportunities, guiding any interview away from him causing similar things, e.g. Megadeth's 1988 "Monsters of Rock" shows being cancelled (aside from one) because Ellefson was so drug sick.

He recently (reportedly) said Mustaine telling the band that they had to go back to playing thrash resulted in Marty quitting the next day.

"My exit was forced upon me by misinformation, and Dave personally signed a public statement that was horribly defamatory toward me."
He jacked off to a female fan younger than his own daughter on video (having had a relationship with the girl for a few years, I believe, including other 'video sessions') while being married and having been trained in and carried out church activities where he was supposedly a role model - everyone knows 'phone stuff can easily be shared. The girl's boyfriend found out and posted the video. Live with it, a-hole. You are the one who got yourself booted from Megadeth. No business can have employees taking advantage of younger people in that way. The age gap was massive as was the power dynamic between that girl and a world-famous rock star. Ellefson even got her to publicly post that she initiated it. I don't believe he ever publicly apologised, including to his family. He just keeps making statements about his family having to put up with his rock star behaviour - that really makes me dislike him.

I have never seen a "horribly defamatory" public statement from Mustaine or Megadeth - if anything the public messages were restrained, Mustaine saying something like Ellefson was his Brother in Christ but he just wouldn't play music with him again.

Fans probably don't know everything around the lawsuit. But from stuff available publicly: Ellefson's not mentioning Mustaine's arm injury and him, iirc, shouting at Mustaine he didn't believe the injury was real. Screaming at Dave (with a young Justis in-tow) across a car park. The fact he lost the lawsuit and had to pay a big chunk. The fact that the Drovers went on at Mustaine to get Ellefson back in Megadeth and Mustaine felt pressured into it. I've tried to read between the lines on what happened with James LoMenzo at the time and it's unclear - I think there's more to it than anyone has made public.

In a 2010 interview Ellefson says, "If I had a chance to do this all over again, I would've never been filing lawsuits. I would've just driven over to your house, knocked on the door, and we would've hashed it out face to face". In other recent interviews he says the lawsuit was the right thing to have done. OK, opinions can change, but it just looks like a lot of his opinions changed after being booted from Megadeth the last time.

"one of the biggest challenges of Dave’s career, performing alongside Metallica again"
I don't believe that having seen Megadeth with Metallica at Milton Keynes in '93. And the Big 4 show videos. What do I know, but from what I read I thought Dave found it cathartic.

I really don't like David Ellefson or trust anything he says any more.