
Jane's Addiction sue each other over onstage fight
Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery sued Farrell in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday seeking at least $US10 million ($A15 million), alleging that Farrell's behaviour was out of control on the tour and culminated in the assault, where Farrell punched Navarro on stage and backstage.
"With a series of swift blows, he single-handedly destroyed the name, reputation, trademark and viability of the band and those who built it," their lawsuit says.
Farrell and his wife, Etty Lau Farrell, sued the three band mates in the same court, blaming them for the conflict and the violence.
"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," the lawsuit says, involving harassing him onstage such as by playing instruments so loudly he could not hear himself sing.
The Farrells said Navarro and Avery actually assaulted them.
Perry Farrell said he was "blindsided" when the other members cancelled the remaining 15 shows of the tour and broke up the band without consulting him, and defamed him by saying he had mental health problems.
Jane's Addiction formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s, had hits such as Jane Says and Been Caught Stealing, and founded the Lollapalooza tour in 1991.
The group has had various incarnations over the years, and their 2024 tour was the first time the original members had played together since 2010.
Farrell missed all the group's tour rehearsals, his band mates' lawsuit alleges, and his behaviour during the early shows ranged from erratic to out of control.
Then, on September 13, 2024, at a show in Boston in front of about 4000 fans, videos partially captured Farrell lunging at Navarro and bumping Navarro with his shoulder before taking a swing at the guitarist with his right arm.
Navarro is seen holding his right arm out to keep Farrell away before Farrell is dragged away.
But Farrell's lawsuit says the onstage altercation "was hardly one-sided".
It says Navarro was deliberately playing loud to drown out the singer, and "what followed was an inappropriate violent escalation by Navarro and Avery that was disproportionate to Farrell's minor body check of Navarro".
Farrell alleges that when he was being restrained by a crew member, Avery punched him in the kidneys, and Avery and Navarro assaulted him and his wife backstage.
Shortly after the fight, Farrell in a statement apologised to his band mates for "inexcusable behaviour".
Both lawsuits allege assault, infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract, among other claims.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Billionaire film mogul David Geffen sued by estranged husband Donovan Michaels
David Geffen is being sued by his estranged husband. The 82-year-old film producer is accused of treating Donovan Michaels, 32, like a "living social experiment" during the couple's two-year marriage in a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Michaels has accused Geffen of breach of contract and alleges that the record executive kicked him out of their New York while he attended Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos's wedding to Lauren Sanchez in Venice last month and went back on a promise to give him lifelong financial support. The lawsuit alleges that Geffen – who has an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion – used a "toxic mix of seduction, control, promises of love and lavish displays of wealth to entrap" Michaels in a loop of "dependency, submission and humiliation". Patty Glaser, a partner at the law firm representing the film mogul, said: "There was no contract – express, written, oral or implied – that has ever existed. We will be vigorously and righteously defending against this false, pathetic lawsuit." The complaint says that Geffen met Michaels on the dating site in 2016 and paid him $10,000 for sex. The couple married in a private Beverly Hills ceremony in 2023 and the complaint claims that Geffen did not seek a prenuptial agreement. The DreamWorks co-founder filed for divorce in May, citing irreconcilable differences, and the pair had kept details of their separation private until Michaels filed his lawsuit. The dancer – whose real name is David Armstrong – described himself in the lawsuit as a vulnerable young gay black man who had been exploited by a "wealthy, powerful white gay billionaire who believed himself untouchable". Geffen is alleged to have criticised "every aspect of Michaels's appearance" and body hygiene that required him to get "painful" laser and dental treatments. Michaels claims that he was frequently subjected to "back-handed insults and put-downs" about his "past and lack of sophistication". He likened the pair's relationship to the plot of the movie Trading Places and alleges that Geffen treated him like "a living social experiment – a trophy to show off to his wealthy friends, under the guise of benevolence". The lawsuit states: "Geffen told Michaels he loved him, and the two agreed to treat each other as life partners, share all assets equally and that Geffen would support Michaels financially for life. "Michaels gave up his dreams – his modelling career, his independence – to dedicate himself fully to this promise." The suit also alleges that Geffen ordered Michaels to "immediately vacate" the couple's New York home as he partied aboard his $400 million Rising Sun superyacht in the lead-up to the Bezos wedding. It states that Michaels was left homeless as Geffen was "decadently and extravagantly partying and dancing the night away in Venice, Italy with the other 0.0001 per cent of the wealthiest people on the planet". The complaint says: "While Geffen holds himself out to the public as an extraordinarily charitable man whose foundation gives millions and millions of dollars to advocacy and support groups for the homeless and disadvantaged populations, he is simultaneously endeavouring to render Michaels impoverished and homeless."

News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Canada hockey players learn fate in sexual assault case, verdict promps gasps in court
Five Canadian professional hockey players accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2018 were found not guilty on Thursday, with the judge ruling the complainant's account of the alleged offences was not credible. The case had captured the country's attention, and raised concern about broader issues in the culture of hockey, Canada's cherished national sport. Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Callan Foote stood trial on charges they assaulted the woman in a hotel room in London, Ontario in Canada following a national men's junior team celebration. All denied wrongdoing, claiming the woman — whose identity is protected — was an active and willing participant in a series of sex acts. Roughly 100 protesters supporting the woman were outside the court when the day began but were gone when court adjourned. The complainant's lawyer, Karen Bellehumeur, called the verdict 'devastating.' Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia read out her detailed decision in front of a packed London court, following one of the most closely watched trials in recent Canadian history. She opened the hearing by declaring that she did 'not find the evidence of (the complainant) to be either credible or reliable,' and that prosecutors had failed to prove their case. Those declarations prompted gasps in the courtroom and embraces among the families of the accused, public broadcaster CBC reported. Some five hours later, Carroccia announced not guilty verdicts for each of the defendants. 'I find as a fact that the complainant did express that she wanted to engage in sexual activity with the men,' she said. She ruled there was insufficient evidence to determine the consent expressed by the complainant 'was vitiated by fear.' Criminal trials in Canada are often decided by a jury, but the case shifted to a judge-only trial after two juries were dismissed. Multiple investigations The complainant, 20 at the time, met McLeod at a bar in London before having sex with him. That initial encounter was not at issue in the trial, which focused on events that occurred after McLeod messaged a team-wide group chat asking if anyone was interested in a 'three-way.' The court heard the woman engaged in multiple sex acts with the players over a number of hours. Prosecutors argued the players failed to take steps to ensure her consent. Defence lawyers said the woman willingly participated and only made the assault allegations after regretting her choices. In her reasoning for the verdict, the judge said there were 'troubling aspects' to how the complainant recalled the events. Carroccia noted the woman said she was speaking 'her truth,' not the truth, 'which seemingly blurs the line between what she believes to be true and what is objectively true.' Bellehumeur said her client faced 'insulting, unfair, mocking and disrespectful' treatment from the defence over several days of withering cross-examination. An initial police investigation into the allegations produced no charges. Subsequent media probes revealed Hockey Canada, a governing body, used funds from subscription fees paid by ordinary families for a $3.55 million CAD (A$3.95) out-of-court settlement with the woman, forcing the resignation of Hockey Canada's leadership. Amid public uproar, London police re-opened the case and brought charges against the players last year. Formenton's lawyer, Daniel Brown, told reporters after the verdict that London police 'got it right seven years ago.' 'Political and media pressure brought this allegation back into the spotlight,' Brown said, accusing prosecutors of 'forging ahead with a hopeless prosecution.' Court proceedings focused on the evolving legal definitions of consent, and the trial addressed videos made by McLeod of the complainant saying she was OK with what happened. Prosecutors argued the decision to make a video indicated concern the sex was not consensual. Hart, a former National Hockey League goaltender, testified such videos were common practice among professional athletes. Carroccia made clear she did not assess the videos as evidence of consent, but found they shed light on the woman's state of mind. 'She was speaking normally. She was smiling. She did not appear to be upset or in distress,' the judge said.

ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell grilled by top US Justice Department official
A top US Justice Department official has spent hours grilling Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as President Donald Trump struggles to tamp down a furore over his handling of the explosive case. Warning: This story contains references to sexual abuse and suicide. David Markus, Maxwell's attorney, said the former British socialite answered every question she was asked during a day-long meeting with Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche at a courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. "She never invoked a privilege. She never declined to answer," Mr Markus said. Mr Markus said he was not going to comment on the "substance" of the meeting with Mr Blanche, Mr Trump's former personal lawyer for his hush money trial and two federal criminal cases, or whether there would be further discussions. Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of recruiting underage girls for Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial in his own sex trafficking case. Earlier this week, Mr Blanche said if Maxwell had "information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say". "No one is above the law — and no lead is off-limits," he said. Mr Trump, 79, was once a close friend of Epstein and The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the president's name was among hundreds found during a DOJ review of the so-called "Epstein files", though there has not been evidence of wrongdoing. Mr Trump filed a $US10 billion ($15 billion) defamation suit against the Journal last week after it reported that he had penned a sexually suggestive letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. Maxwell is the only former Epstein associate convicted in connection with his activities, which right-wing conspiracy theorists allege had included trafficking young models for VIPs. The meeting with Maxwell marks another attempt by the Trump administration to defuse anger among the Republican president's own supporters over what they have long seen as a cover-up of sex crimes by Epstein, who was a wealthy financier with high-level connections. Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the meeting between Maxwell and a Justice Department official who used to be Mr Trump's own lawyer smacked of a "corrupt deal so that [Attorney-General Pam Bondi] can exonerate Donald Trump". Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said it raised some troubling questions. "Is he really going as [deputy attorney-general] or is he going de facto as Trump's personal criminal attorney, Tom Hagen style?" the senator said in a reference to the Corleone family lawyer in The Godfather. "Will he promise her a pardon for silence, or for a Trump-friendly tale?" Senator Whitehouse asked. Many of the president's core supporters want more transparency on the Epstein case, and Mr Trump had promised to deliver that on retaking the White House in January. But he has since dismissed the controversy as a "hoax" and a "witch hunt", and the DOJ and FBI released a memo this month claiming the Epstein files did not contain evidence that would justify further investigation. Epstein committed suicide while in jail and was not murdered, did not blackmail any prominent figures, and did not keep a "client list", according to the July 7 FBI-DOJ memo. Epstein was found hanging dead in his New York prison cell while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited hundreds of victims at his homes in New York and Florida. AFP