Last year, alternative rock legends Jane’s Addiction imploded during an on stage altercation that saw singer Perry Farrell confront guitarist Dave Navarro mid-song. The band ended up canceling their tour, and earlier this year Navarro definitively said: “There’s no chance for the band to ever play together again.”
On Wednesday, Rolling Stone reported that the band filed a $10 million lawsuit against Farrell. “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,” their complaint said. “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.”
Within hours of the band’s lawsuit against their singer, Farrell filed a lawsuit of his own. Part of his complaint reads (via Variety): “That Jane’s Addiction bandmates have sometimes been antagonistic towards each other has been well-documented. But Navarro, Avery and Perkins apparently decided that Jane’s Addiction decades of success should be jettisoned in pursuit of a years-long bullying campaign against Farrell involving harassing him onstage during performances, including, among other tactics, trying to undermine him by playing their instruments at a high volume so that he could not hear himself sing without blasting his own in-ear monitors at an unsafe level.”
Farrell’s representatives went on to issue a statement to Variety saying: “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.”
