Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins of the rock group Jane’s Addiction are suing lead singer Perry Farrell following the aftermath of an apparent onstage assault that occurred in September 2024.
During the show, Farrell threw a punch at Navarro, which led to him being dragged offstage. Following the incident, the band members pulled the plug on the rest of their Imminent Redemption Tour.
The group members filed the complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday and are suing the singer for $10 million, claiming the incident not only cost them their tour, but a new album as well. They claim they’ve lost about $10 million following Farrell’s actions, and they also want him to pay for the costs from the cancellations.
“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 suit reads, according to Rolling Stone. “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 is accused of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract, according to court documents.
The lawsuit claims that Farrell’s attack on Navarro came as the guitarist was dealing with long COVID, which forced him to step away in 2022. Two years later, he returned for the band’s European and North American tour.
“Navarro terminated his $25,000 per month in disability payments in order to return to work with the Band,” the lawsuit said. “Had Navarro not terminated the disability payments, and given his condition, Navarro likely would have received the $25,000 payments for several years. For months, Navarro worked hard to prepare himself physically and mentally for touring, including by seeing doctors, nutritionists, and therapists.”
The lawsuit even noted that Navarro had postponed his Scotland wedding to his now-wife, Vanessa DuBasso, to accommodate the tour. This move cost him about “$50,000 in lost deposits to various vendors.”
The onstage scuffle between Navarro and Farrell occurred on Sept. 13 in Boston. Video showed Farrell singing loudly into his mic and then lunging at Navarro. He then bumped Navarro with his shoulder before taking a swing at him with his right arm. The guitarist is seen holding his right arm out to keep Farrell away before Farrell is dragged away by others on stage. The show ended shortly after.
Days later, the band took to Instagram to announce that they “made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group.”
“Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour,” the now-deleted post’s caption read. “Our concern for his personal health and safety as well as our own has left us no alternative. We hope that he will find the help he needs.”
Farrell then later issued an apology.
“This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation.”
Following the lawsuit, Perry’s legal team issued the following statement to KTLA 5:
“This is yet another clear example of the group uniting to isolate and bully frontman Perry Farrell. The timing of this baseless lawsuit is no coincidence—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.”
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