Fred Durst

Fred Durst was born Frederick Allen Mayne III in Jacksonville, Florida, and moved with his family to North Carolina at an early age. His mother later renamed him William Frederick Durst after marrying Bill Durst. He grew up in Gastonia and graduated from Hunter Huss High School.

As a child, Durst was bullied and developed interests in breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock, heavy metal, rapping, skateboarding, beatboxing, and DJing. After serving for two years in the U.S. Navy, he worked as a landscaper and tattoo artist while developing the idea for a band that combined rock and hip hop.

Durst formed Limp Bizkit in Jacksonville in 1994 with bassist Sam Rivers and drummer John Otto. Guitarist Wes Borland later joined, and DJ Lethal became the group's turntablist. Durst chose the name Limp Bizkit because he wanted a name that would repel potential listeners.

The band built an underground following through performances and covers of George Michael's "Faith" and Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." After Durst gave Korn bassist Reginald Arvizu demos of Limp Bizkit songs, Korn helped place the unsigned band on two tours. Limp Bizkit signed with Flip Records in 1997 and released Three Dollar Bill, Y'all that year.

Limp Bizkit reached mainstream success with Significant Other in 1999 and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water in 2000. Songs such as "Nookie," "Break Stuff," "My Way," and the band's cover of "Faith" became closely associated with the nu metal era. Durst also appeared on recordings by Korn and Soulfly, including Korn's "All in the Family" and Soulfly's "Bleed."

In June 1999, Durst became senior vice president of A&R at Interscope Records. He helped secure record deals for Cold, Staind, Puddle of Mudd, and She Wants Revenge, and also worked with other emerging groups. His industry role made him an important intermediary between the nu metal scene and major-label music business.

Limp Bizkit's appearance at Woodstock '99 became one of the most controversial episodes of the band's career. Crowd violence occurred during and after the performance, and sexual assaults were reported in the aftermath. Durst later said that the band was an easy target for blame and that he had not been able to see what was happening throughout the crowd from the stage.

During the 2001 Big Day Out festival in Sydney, teenager Jessica Michalik died of asphyxiation after a crowd crush. Durst testified that he had warned organizers about the danger, while the coroner concluded that the crowd density was hazardous and that Durst should have acted more responsibly once the problem became apparent. He later said that the death left him emotionally scarred.

During Limp Bizkit's hiatus, Durst expanded into independent film. He appeared in Population 436 in 2006 and made his directorial debut with The Education of Charlie Banks in 2007. The film starred Jesse Eisenberg, Chris Marquette, and Jason Ritter.

Durst directed The Longshots in 2008, a sports drama starring Ice Cube and Keke Palmer. He also appeared as a bartender in episodes of House, M.D. and continued working as a producer and music-video director. His later directorial credits include The Fanatic, which starred John Travolta and was released in 2019.

The original Limp Bizkit lineup reunited in 2009 and began touring. The band subsequently recorded Gold Cobra, released in 2011, which reached number 16 on the Billboard 200. Durst also appeared on recordings with Lil Wayne, Birdman, and Kevin Rudolf during this period.

Limp Bizkit signed with Lil Wayne's Cash Money Records in 2012. Durst later appeared in film, television, music-video, and voice roles, including I Saw the TV Glow, Y2K, and Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Raven Brooks. His work with Limp Bizkit has remained central to his public identity, alongside his distinctive red baseball cap and aggressive vocal style.

Durst married Rachel Tergesen in 1990 while stationed in Oakland, California, during his Navy service. They divorced in 1993 and had a daughter, Adriana. He also has a son named Dallas with actress Jennifer Thayer.

Durst married Esther Nazarov in 2009, but the marriage ended after three months. He married makeup artist Kseniya Beryazina in 2012, and their divorce was finalized in 2019. He married again in 2022.

In 1999, Durst was arrested after being accused of kicking a stage security guard in the head. He was released on bail and later received a fine in exchange for reduced charges.

In 2007, Durst pleaded no contest to seven misdemeanor charges, including battery, assault, and reckless driving. The case concerned an incident in which he hit two Los Angeles residents with his car in 2006. He received a suspended sentence, community service, and a fine.

In 2015, Durst expressed interest in obtaining a Russian passport and spending part of the year in Crimea. He also wrote favorably about Vladimir Putin and picked up a flag carrying an anti-Ukrainian slogan during a concert in Russia. Durst later denied reports that he had asked to acquire Russian citizenship.

Ukraine barred Durst from entering the country for five years, citing security concerns. A Limp Bizkit concert scheduled in Tallinn for 2026 was later canceled after attention returned to his earlier Russia-related comments.