Morrissey asks Johnny Marr to stop talking about him in interviews

Morrissey has written an open letter to his former bandmate Johnny Marr, asking him to stop talking about him in interviews.

The We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful singer published the "polite request" titled Open Letter To Johnny Marr on his website Morrissey Central, asking fellow ex member of The Smiths to "move on".

Morrissey, 62, writes: "This is not a rant or an hysterical bombast. It is a polite and calmly measured request: Would you please stop mentioning my name in your interviews?

Read more: Morrissey hits out at 'The Simpsons' over 'harshly hateful' parody

"Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music?

"If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?"

The This Charming Man singer goes on: "The fact is: you don’t know me... Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts.

"We haven’t known each other for 35 years - which is many lifetimes ago... We both helped each other become whatever it is we are today. Can you not just leave it at that?"

Morrissey claims that anything Marr says about him that is "cruel and savage" is sure to be picked up by the media.

He added: "It’s as if you can’t uncross your own legs without mentioning me... Just stop using my name as click-bait."

Morrissey claims he has never publicly criticised Marr's solo work but "openly applauded your genius".

And he concludes by saying: "Please stop. It is 2022, not 1982."

Morrissey and Marr, 58, founded The Smiths in 1982. They split in 1987 amid growing tensions between the singer and lead guitarist.

Both have gone on to have successful solo careers, while Morrissey has gained a reputation for publicly expressing extreme far-right views.

Morrissey published his memoirs with Penguin Classics, titled Autobiography.

In the book he was cordial toward Marr but savaged former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, who sued two decades ago over allegedly unpaid earnings.

Read more: Morrissey posters removed from railway stations over far-right views

In an interview earlier this month with Uncut magazine, Marr said: "It won’t come as any surprise when I say that I’m really close with everyone I’ve worked with – except for the obvious one.

"And that isn’t that much of a surprise because we’re so different, me and Morrissey."

Watch: Johnny Marr rates ex-bandmate Morrissey