Lost & Found: Revisiting Nikki Sixx’s Raw 2003 Hustler Magazine Interview

In December 2003, Hustler magazine sat down with Nikki Sixx and his than wife Donna D’Errico for a raw, unfiltered interview about his career, the future of Mötley Crüe, and his new ventures. Looking back at this conversation now, it gives us an interesting snapshot of where Sixx was at the time— the band was on hiatus, Sixx was working on a movie adaptation of The Dirt, and the tensions between Vince Neil and Tommy Lee were at an all-time high.

Back in 2003, Hustler magazine attempted to break into the rock scene by merging adult content with music. Hiring Nancy B. Style, the famous magazine began featuring big rock stars of the time. The first installment, published on August 19, 2003, featured Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde. However, in the December issue, Nikki Sixx and his then-wife, Baywatch actress Donna D’Errico, graced the front cover. The couple gave an interview together, and now after we came into possession of the hard copy of this issue, we decided to bring you the reviewed highlights of Nikki Sixx’s portion of the interview. Only the music related portion – you gotta get the rest yourself!

Hustler and Rock & Roll: A Long History

Nikki Sixx’s history with Hustler and its legendary founder, Larry Flynt, goes way back. He first met Flynt in 1982, and the magazine was always in the Crüe’s corner. Sixx even sported a Hustler T-shirt night after night on the Dr. Feelgood tour as a nod to their mutual admiration. But the biggest moment was in 1997 when band was filming the video for the song Afraid. They invited Larry to be in the video, but instead he put them on the cover of his magazine. Mötley Crüe than became the first and only rock band to grace Hustler’s cover back in 1997 during the Generation Swine era. Fast forward to 2003, and Sixx was back on the cover again —this time with his wife!

Mötley Crüe: A Band on Hold

At the time of the interview, Mötley Crüe was essentially on ice, largely thanks to the growing tensions between Tommy Lee and Vince Neil. Sixx was in no hurry to push forward, believing that a break was exactly what the band—and the fans—needed.

“We can’t keep beating a dead horse,” he argued, insisting that absence would make the fans’ hearts grow fonder. But not everyone agreed. Vince Neil was frustrated, itching to hit the road and venting his grievances publicly—most notably on The Howard Stern Show. The situation was classic Crüe: chaos, clashing egos, and uncertainty about the future. Sound familiar?

The First Attempt at The Dirt Movie

By 2003, The Dirt, Mötley Crüe’s no-holds-barred biography, had already become a rock ‘n’ roll Bible. Sixx revealed that Paramount Pictures and MTV Films were on board to bring the debauchery to the big screen. Screenwriter Rich Wilkes (XXX) was finishing up the script, but the real problem was —the band wasn’t really involved yet.

Sixx admitted that the whole process felt surreal. Given Hollywood’s track record with rock movies, there was a real risk of the story being watered down. As history would have it, the film wouldn’t actually see the light of day until 2019—a full 16 years later!

Brides of Destruction: Sixx’s Short-Lived Band

While Mötley Crüe was on pause, Sixx was far from idle. Enter Brides of Destruction, a hard-hitting band or side project for some, formed with L.A. Guns’ Tracii Guns. The band had a raw, punk-infused attitude that set them apart. Sixx was particularly blown away by their frontman, London LeGrand—a guy who looked and acted like a rock star before he even sang a note.

John Corabi (former Mötley Crüe vocalist) briefly joined the band on rhythm guitar, but it wasn’t long before he parted ways. On the drums, they had Scot Coogan, whom Nikki praised in the interview as one of the best drummers he knew at the time. Sixx and Guns pushed forward, releasing Here Come the Brides in 2004. Reviewing Mötley Crüe again, Sixx left the band shortly after, leaving Tracii Guns—who had essentially left his own band, L.A. Guns, because of this—alone in the project. This turn of events had significant consequences for the future development of L.A. Guns.

The Earliest Mentions of The Heroin Diaries

Buried in the interview was a small but monumental detail—Sixx mentioned he was working on a book based on his diaries from 1986–87. At the time, it didn’t seem like a big deal. No one knew that this project would morph into The Heroin Diaries, a brutally raw and revealing look at Sixx’s descent into addiction.

Released in 2007, The Heroin Diaries became one of the most unflinching rock memoirs ever written, leading to the formation of Sixx:A.M. and adding another major chapter to Sixx’s legacy. It’s wild to think that in 2003, he mentioned it so casually—like it was just another idea in a long list of creative pursuits.

Final Thoughts: Sixx in Transition

Reading this interview today, you can practically feel Sixx standing at a crossroads. He was:

Battling Mötley Crüe’s never-ending drama but still hopeful for a future comeback.
Pushing The Dirt movie forward (even though it took over a decade to happen).
Energized about Brides of Destruction, even if the band was short-lived.
Quietly planting the seeds for The Heroin Diaries—which would redefine his career.

Even though Sixx resisted Mötley Crüe’s return at this point, by 2005, they were back together, bigger than ever. This interview captures a rare moment of the band in some kind of limbo, before they took over and once again fully embraced their legendary status. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Nikki Sixx over the years, it’s this—he never stops evolving.

Disclaimer: This article is a summary and analysis of the Hustler Magazine Canada December 2003 interview with Nikki Sixx. It does not reproduce the original interview in full and is intended for commentary and review purposes under fair use/fair dealing.

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