Hours after his bandmates filed a multi-count lawsuit against him following Jane’s Addiction’s sudden dissolution last September, frontman Perry Farrell has filed his own complaint against Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins in Los Angeles County Superior Court on charges of assault and battery, intentional inflection of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract.
Yesterday, the musicians sued Farrell on similar grounds and are asking for more than $10 million in damages and to repay costs stemming from a Sept. 14, 2024, onstage incident in Boston, which scotched an in-progress reunion tour and plans for a new album.
More from Spin:
- New Blood Orange LP Boasts Lorde, Turnstile, Zadie Smith
- Jane’s Addiction Members Sue Perry Farrell Over 2024 Tour Debacle
- See New Trailer From Jeff Buckley Documentary ‘It’s Never Over’
“As a founding member and creative force behind Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell has always prioritized the band’s legacy and its supporters, which is why the events of Sept. 13, 2024, in Boston and the resulting fallout was so devastating,” an attorney for Farrell and his wife Etty says. “Without warning or consultation and using Perry as a scapegoat, Dave Navarro and the other band members took it upon themselves to abruptly cancel the remaining tour dates — violating contracts and disregarding all professional obligations. Perry was blindsided by not being allowed to vote and be heard, leaving him unable to plead his case to continue the tour for their fans. If that was not harmful enough, Dave Navarro then intentionally and publicly blamed Perry for the canceled tour dates effectively destroying Perry’s reputation and causing him irreparable harm. Despite this continued bullying perpetuated by Navarro, Perry’s dedication to Jane’s Addiction and the preservation of its positive impact on the music industry remains unshaken. He is actively exploring ways to address the situation and ensure accountability.”
Farrell claims Navarro’s account of a separate backstage assault after the Boston concert was halted abruptly is untrue. His suit reads, “Navarro now falsely claims Farrell hit Navarro with a ‘sucker punch.’ What actually happened was that it was Navarro who menacingly charged at and aggressively assaulted both Farrell and his wife Etty Lau backstage, shouting, ‘What the fuck was that, you motherfucker?!’ Farrell took a defensive stance and shouted, ‘Get the fuck out of here!,’ to which Navarro replied, ‘I am never working with you again!’”
In a separate statement, Farrell’s legal team called Navarro, Avery and Perkins’ filing “another clear example of the group uniting to isolate and bully” the singer and Lollapalooza co-founder. “It was filed only after they caught wind of legal action coming from our side. It’s a transparent attempt to control the narrative and present themselves as the so-called ‘good guys’ — a move that’s both typical and predictable. Just like when they released a defamatory and entirely unfounded statement about Perry’s mental health and unilaterally canceled the remaining tour dates without his input, they’re once again scrambling to get ahead of the truth in a desperate effort to save face.”
Navarro, Avery and Perkins say they each lost more than $200,000 in income due to the cancellations, and that they owe another $240,00 in commissions and fees. “A successful Tour would have served as a potent marketing vehicle for the new album the Band was working on for ADA, and would have increased the Band’s earnings from record sales due to increased interest,” they purport. “It would have also strengthened the Band’s relationship with [tour promoter] Live Nation, which had previously discussed the prospect of subsequent tours.”
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
