Months after their reunion tour was cut short by tempers flaring mid-concert, members of Jane’s Addiction have now sued each other.
In September, shocking footage emerged of lead vocalist Perry Farrell in an altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro before getting dragged off stage.
The band had just kicked off their comeback tour earlier in the year, which marked their first time on stage together in 14 years.
Now, Navarro and the rest of the band — Eric Avery and Stephen Perkin — are suing Farrell for $10,000,000 (£7,471,500) for the cancelled tour and assault, according to Rolling Stone.
First formed the band in 1985, Jane’s Addiction had just dropped their comeback single at the time, so are claiming the fight derailed the album release as well as the tour.
However, Farrell, 66, has countersued and claimed his bandmates participated in a ‘years-long bullying campaign’, according to court documents seen by The Hollywood Reporter.
In the three band members’ initial complaint, they alleged that the fight continued backstage with ‘another unexpected punch at [Navarro], striking him on the left side of the face’.
They claimed the attack was ‘especially painful’ as the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist was still ‘weak’ from dealing with the after-effects of Covid.
Filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the document accuses Farrell of assault, battery, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, the intentional infliction of emotional distress, and breach of contract.
‘The Band can no longer function as a result of the Defendant’s conduct, including his sudden, violent outbursts and demonstrated inability to serve as the Band’s frontman and vocalist, ‘ lawyers reportedly stated in the 36-page document.
‘The physical, emotional, and financial harms Defendant has wrought have deeply impacted the Plaintiffs, their families, and their loved ones, and it is time for Defendant to face the consequences of his actions and be held accountable.’
Farrell’s lawsuit paints a very different picture as he countersued, claiming Jane’s Addiction used him as a ‘scapegoat’.
He denied continuing to attack Navarro backstage and claimed that he had not thrown the first punch, had instead been ‘body-checking’ his bandmate.
His lawyers stated he ‘played no role whatsoever’ in the ‘ill-conceived’ tour cancellations as he ‘was not even consulted’ in the decision.
At the time of the split, a statement released by the band cited that Farrell was struggling with his mental health, seconded by his wife Etty.
She took to social media to explain her husband felt he was ‘being drowned out’ by the instruments, having been struggling with tinnitus and a sore throat.
‘He finally did not calm down, but did break down and cried and cried,’ she continued. ‘Eric, well, he either didn’t understand what descalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.’
Farrell publicly apologised for his actions, calling them ‘inexcusable’ but said he had hit ‘breaking point’ and took ‘full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation.’
His lawyer said in a statement to Us Weekly: ‘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 September 13th, 2024 in Boston and the resulting fallout was so devastating.
‘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.’
The statement continued: ‘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.’
Meanwhile, Navarro and the band’s lawyer said in a statement: ‘If there is a question about what to believe, you can believe the video we’ve all watched. You can believe Etty Farrell’s contemporaneous Instagram posts stating: “Perry was clearly the aggressor, I’m not arguing that point at all… [H]e has been struggling mentally for quite some time….”
‘You can believe Perry himself when he apologized to the Band: “I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show. Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior.” Today’s complaint from Perry, including his account of events backstage after the September 13 show, is revisionist history. It won’t stand.’
Metro has reached out to Navarro and Farrell for comment.
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