Morrissey has closed an email account set up to solicit bids for his share of the Smiths’ catalog and related business interests, according to a statement posted Friday on his official website. The move comes just a week after the singer announced he was seeking to sell off what he described as “full and exclusive rights” tied to the legendary band’s name, songs, and merchandising.

The website update explained that the “eaves” email address, publicly shared last week for potential investors, was taken offline after it was inundated with responses. “Although Morrissey’s love for the songs of the Smiths era will never waver, he is tired of the disagreeable and vexatious characters involved in ‘The Smiths’ business,” the post read. The statement suggested that while many messages had been received, “all (or most)” would eventually be answered.

The closure followed last week’s unusual announcement on Morrissey Central and his verified Instagram, where the former frontman outlined plans to sell his intellectual property related to the Smiths. The posts were titled “A Soul for Sale,” and featured a lengthy statement attributed to Morrissey in which he described himself as “burnt out by any and all connections” to his former bandmates.

According to the initial announcement, Morrissey is offering investors sweeping control over the Smiths’ brand. That includes the name “The Smiths,” artwork created by Morrissey, all merchandising rights, song publishing and recording rights, synchronization rights, and related contractual agreements. The scope of the offer would effectively transfer ownership of one of the most influential catalogs in alternative rock history to a new party.

In his statement, Morrissey emphasized a desire to distance himself from former band members Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce, and the late Andy Rourke. “I am burnt out by any and all connections to Marr, Rourke, Joyce. I have had enough of malicious associations,” the message read. “With my entire life I have paid my rightful dues to these songs and these images. I would now like to live disassociated from those who wish me nothing but ill-will and destruction.”

He added that the songs, while still a core part of his identity, carried with them a heavy burden of legal wrangling and business disputes that he no longer wished to endure. “The songs are me, they are no one else, but they bring with them business communications that go to excessive lengths to create as much dread and spite year after year. I must now protect myself, especially my health,” he wrote.

The Smiths disbanded in 1987, and relations among the members have often been strained. Joyce successfully sued Morrissey and Marr in the 1990s for a greater share of royalties, creating a lasting rift. In later years, Morrissey and Marr occasionally hinted at reconciliation, but efforts at a reunion repeatedly stalled. Marr revealed in interviews last year that he had declined a reported offer from promoter AEG to reunite the group.

In his 2016 memoir Set the Boy Free, Marr described one fleeting moment in 2008 when a Smiths reunion seemed possible. The guitarist recalled meeting Morrissey at a London pub, saying the idea “felt real” for several days. But the talks collapsed abruptly after Marr departed to tour with another band, leaving the reunion talks to fade into silence.

With Rourke’s death in 2023, the prospect of a full reunion has disappeared altogether. Joyce, meanwhile, has kept his distance from both surviving members. When contacted for comment on the rights sale announcement, Joyce’s representative declined, saying he does not respond to Morrissey’s public statements.

Whether Morrissey truly intends to relinquish control over the Smiths’ legacy remains unclear. Representatives for the singer have not clarified his role in authoring the “A Soul for Sale” posts. Attempts by media outlets to contact the provided email address returned error messages before the account was shut down.

Still, the possibility of such a transfer has drawn enormous attention, underscoring the enduring cultural weight of the Smiths nearly four decades after their breakup.