US rock band Jane's Addiction members sue one another after onstage fight during reunion tour
Formed in 1985 and best known for the hit song Been Caught Stealing (1990), the group were performing in Boston when singer Perry Farrell, 66, confronted guitarist Dave Navarro, 58. A video showed Farrell slamming his shoulder into Navarro and appearing to throw a punch before he was physically restrained.
The encounter in September abruptly ended the first tour by Jane's Addiction's original members in 14 years. The fallout continued on July 16 when they filed duelling lawsuits in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Eric Avery, 60, and Stephen Perkins, 57 - the band's bassist and drummer - joined Navarro in a lawsuit accusing Farrell of assault, battery, emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract. Farrell and his wife, Etty Lau Farrell, responded with a complaint against the men that alleges assault, emotional distress and breach of contract.
Christopher Frost, a lawyer for Navarro, Avery and Perkins, said in a statement that Perry Farrell's actions left the rest of the band on the hook for an unfulfilled tour and record deal. 'They have been wronged, want the accurate story told and they deserve a resolution,' he said.
Farrell's legal team said in a statement that the band's lawsuit was a clear example of its desire to isolate and bully him. '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,' the statement said.
The lawsuit led by Navarro said Jane's Addiction had suffered a 'swift and painful death at the hands of Farrell's unprovoked anger and complete lack of self-control'. It also claimed that Farrell's behaviour failed to meet the band's standards.
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'Perry forgot lyrics, lost his place in songs he had sung since the 1980s and mumbled rants as he drank from a wine bottle onstage,' the lawsuit said.
After the onstage fight in 2024, the band cancelled the 15 remaining dates of its North American tour. Navarro said on social media that 'the mental health difficulties of our singer' were to blame, while Farrell apologised to his bandmates, saying that his 'breaking point resulted in inexcusable behaviour'.
Farrell offered more details in his lawsuit, saying that his bandmates had participated in a years-long 'bullying campaign' against him that included harassing him onstage.
During performances, the lawsuit said, his bandmates would try to undermine him by playing their instruments so loudly that he could not hear himself sing. NYTIMES
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