Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro , Eric Avery , and Stephen Perkins have sued lead singer Perry Farrell following a fight that occurred during a show on September 13 .
Fans saw Perry pushing and then punching Navarro. The performance was stopped mid-way and the band apologized for the incident, canceling both the following day's show and their tour for that year. At the time, the group stated: "We want to sincerely apologize for the events that took place last night," via UCR .
Perry Farrell is now facing a lawsuit accusing him of several offenses. The charges include assault, bodily harm, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
The consequences of the incident
According to the court documents, the lawsuit also alleges that the cancellation of the band's tour resulted in losses exceeding $10 million (approximately R$55.7 million). The plaintiffs are demanding that Farrell cover all outstanding debts related to the tour cancellation.
“The band is unable to function due to the defendant’s conduct, including his sudden and violent outbursts and his proven inability to act as the band’s leader and vocalist,” part of the indictment states, according to Rolling Stone . “The physical, emotional, and financial harm the defendant has caused has profoundly impacted the plaintiffs, their families, and their loved ones, and it is time for the defendant to face the consequences of his actions and be held accountable.”
The band had agreed to make tour-related decisions by majority rule, but Farrell complicated those decisions, the lawsuit says. "Perry had a terrible habit of overriding the band's decisions, making everything about himself and [his wife] Etty."
Another issue raised is the vocalist's problem with alcohol. Farrell used to drink wine during shows. "Perry's performance problems worsened as the night went on, and he became more intoxicated."
Part of the fight between Farrell and Navarro was captured on video, but it reportedly continued backstage, where the vocalist assaulted the guitarist again: “Nobody could calm Perry down backstage. When Navarro confronted Perry about his violent outburst, Perry threw another unexpected punch, hitting him on the left side of the face. Navarro was injured.”
What does Perry's legal team have to say?
The vocalist's legal team claims that "this is yet another clear case of the group uniting to isolate and bully the frontman." They also question the timing of the lawsuit, which they say was filed "after they realized" that the legal team "was taking legal action."
“It’s a transparent attempt to control the narrative and present themselves as the ‘good guys,’ an attitude as typical as it is predictable. Just like when they released a defamatory and completely unfounded statement about Perry’s mental health and unilaterally canceled the remaining tour dates without his participation, they are once again rushing to get ahead of the truth in a desperate effort to save face,” the team alleges.
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