Gene Simmons Calls His SUV Crash a ‘Fender-Bender,’ Says Media Overhyped It

Gene Simmons is calling BS on the media for playing up the seriousness of his recent car wreck … writing the incident off as a “fender-bender.”

The rock and roll legend was spotted by photogs in Los Angeles Wednesday … getting behind the wheel of a car just weeks after he passed out while driving in Malibu and crashed into another vehicle.

Simmons spoke to the paps … and called the media “fake news” — ’cause he feels the severity of his car crash was blown up in the press … when he says it was really just a run-of-the-mill accident.

Gene says there are more important stories in the world than his little “fender-bender” … and, he thinks the media should shift their focus to those stories instead.

We obtained video of Gene’s car in the immediate aftermath of the crash … and, the damage to his vehicle looked pretty extensive — with the front of his SUV smashed into a truck on the side of the road.

Simmons’ wife Shannon Tweed explained to us Gene doesn’t like to drink water … and, he’d started taking new medication before the crash — which left him extremely dehydrated and caused him to pass out and crash the SUV.

Tweed told us she didn’t want him driving anymore — seems she lost that battle — and, his fellow KISS founder and longtime pal Paul Stanley said Simmons is lucky to be alive after the crash.