The fallout over the September 13, 2024 Jane’s Addiction show that ended abruptly after Perry Farrell threw a punch at Dave Navarro onstage continues. Rolling Stone and TMZ report that Navarro and his bandmates Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins have sued Farrell over the fight and subsequently cancelled tour. Here’s more from Rolling Stone:
The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and obtained by Rolling Stone, accuses Farrell of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract. The suit also alleges that the group lost over $10 million as a result of the tour’s cancellation and cessation of all band activities, including plans for the first album by the classic lineup since 1990’s Ritual de lo Habitual. They’re also asking Farrell to pay all of the group’s outstanding bills stemming from the tour’s cancellation.
“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,” the complaint reads. “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.”
According to the suit, Navarro was receiving $25,000 per month in disability insurance after being sidelined with long Covid starting in 2022, and he stopped those payments in order to return to the road. “Had Navarro not terminated the disability payments, and given his condition, Navarro likely would have received the $25,000 payments for several years,” the suit reads. “For months, Navarro worked hard to prepare himself physically and mentally for touring, including by seeing doctors, nutritionists, and therapists.” According to the suit, Navarro also postponed his wedding for the tour, and lost $50,000 in deposits to vendors in the process.
The suit also accuses Farrell of performing while “in an advanced state of intoxication.” “He would often drink wine onstage and slur his speech,” it reads. “Perry frequently went on long, rambling discursions between songs for no apparent purpose other than for his own amusement. The problems with Perry’s performance would often worsen as the night wore on and he became more intoxicated.”
Christopher Frost, the attorney representing Navarro, Avery, and Perkins, told Rolling Stone the three “had high hopes that they could capture the pure spirit of the band’s early days and build on it. Initially they did, in the studio and onstage. But … they did so with a fourth bandmate who was by turns unwilling or unable to perform to a reasonable standard and who repeatedly threatened to derail the tour.” Frost adds that Farrell “abruptly and unilaterally ended all the plans for a Jane’s Addiction revival” and “left his bandmates holding the bag for an unfulfilled tour and record deal,” adding, “Dave, Eric, and Stephen never wanted it to come to this. But they have been wronged, want the accurate story told, and they deserve a resolution.”
Read Rolling Stone‘s report in full here.
UPDATE: Variety reports that hours after Navarro, Avery, and Perkins sued him, Perrell filed his own legal complaint against them. More from Variety:
Farrell filed a legal complaint — not a countersuit — against former bandmates Dave Navarro, Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins, just hours after the trio sued him. In a 30-page complaint, Farrell accuses the former members of orchestrating a years-long campaign of bullying and harassment aimed at undermining him. He also alleges that he had no say in canceling their tour and breaking up the band.
In it, he says the altercation was spurred by his frustration over the other bandmembers’ “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,” and that Navarro assaulted Farrell and his wife backstage.
In a statement to Variety, Farrell said, “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. 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’s complaint claims, “That Jane’s Addiction’s bandmates have sometimes been antagonistic towards each other has been well-documented. But Navarro, Avery and Perkins apparently decided that Jane’s Addiction’s 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.
“This harassment escalated on September 13, 2024 to physical violence by Navarro and Avery against Farrell onstage during the Boston show and the assault of both Perry and Etty Lau Farrell backstage by Navarro,” Farrell’s complaint continues. “These altercations precipitated the decision by Navarro, Avery and Perkins to both call off the rest of the band’s North American tour. Without warning or consultation and using Perry Farrell, as a scapegoat, Navarro and the other band members took it upon themselves to abruptly cancel the remaining tour dates — violating contracts and disregarding all professional obligations — and apparently break up the band for good.”
Farrell also claims in his suit, “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!’”
Read Variety‘s report in full here.
In an interview earlier this year, Navarro said there was “no chance” for Jane’s Addiction to reunite again.