Jane's Addiction bandmates sue each other over onstage fight that ended tour
Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery sued Farrell in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking at least $10 million, alleging that Farrell's behavior on the tour had ranged from erratic to out-of-control, culminating in the assault, where Farrell punched Navarro both 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 bandmates in the same court Wednesday, blaming them for the conflict and the violence.
'Navarro, Avery and Perkins apparently decided,' the lawsuit says, 'that Jane's Addiction's decades of success should be jettisoned in pursuit of a yearslong 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.'
The Farrells said that Navarro and Avery actually assaulted them.
Perry Farrell said he was 'blindsided' when the other members canceled the remaining 15 shows of the tour and broke up the band without consulting him, costing all of them a great deal of money.
And he said his bandmates defamed him by publicly saying after the fight that he had mental health problems.
Jane's Addiction was an essential part of the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1980s with their combination of elements of punk, goth and psychedelic sounds and culture. They became a national phenomenon with hits including 'Jane Says' and 'Been Caught Stealing,' and through their founding of the Lollapalooza tour, whose first incarnations they headlined in 1991.
The group broke up soon after but returned several times in various incarnations. The 2024 tour was the first time the original members had played together since 2010.
Farrell missed all seven of the group's rehearsals in the run-up to the tour, his bandmate's lawsuit alleges, and his behavior during the early shows ranged from erratic to out-of-control.
'He struggled night to night amid public concern for his well-being and apparent intoxication,' their lawsuit says. '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 says Farrell was given many solutions to the volume problem, none of which he followed.
Then on Sept. 13 at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston in front of about 4,000 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 'video evidence is clear that the first altercation onstage during the Boston show 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 that both Avery and Navarro assaulted him and his wife backstage.
Shortly after the fight, Farrell in a statement apologized to his bandmates, especially Navarro, for 'inexcusable behavior.'
Both lawsuits allege assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract, among other claims.
'Now,' Navarro, Perkins and Avery's lawsuit says, 'the Band will never have their revival Tour, to celebrate a new album and 40+ years of deep, complex, chart-topping recordings. Instead, history will remember the Band as suffering a swift and painful death at the hands of Farrell's unprovoked anger and complete lack of self-control.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Muni Long Reveals How Her Childhood Self Would React to Touring with Brandy and Monica (Exclusive)
The star will join Kelly Rowland and 'American Idol' winner Jamal Roberts as opening acts for the R&B singers' The Boy Is Mine Tour Muni Long is living the life her childhood self would have only dreamed of. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the singer-songwriter, 36, reacted to securing a spot as an opening act for Brandy and Monica's first-ever concert series, The Boy Is Mine Tour. "If you told me [when I was younger] that I would be opening for Brandy and Monica, I would have been like, 'Shut up. You're a liar,' " Long said at Megan Thee Stallion's inaugural Pete & Thomas Foundation Gala in New York City. "It's funny, because I was just at Essence Fest, and they did the Waiting to Exhale tribute. I had no business listening to that soundtrack, but I know every word from top to bottom," she continued, referring to the album that accompanied the film of the same name, featuring music from Brandy, 46, as well as other artists like Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, TLC and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. Long will be joined on The Boy Is Mine Tour by Kelly Rowland and 2025 American Idol winner Jamal Roberts, who will serve as other openers. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Boy Is Mine Tour will kick off in Cincinnati on Oct. 16. It will make stops in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Brooklyn, Detroit, New Orleans and more, before wrapping on Dec. 7 in Houston. Brandy called the tour "a dream come true" while appearing on CBS Mornings in June, stating that there has been interest in the two going on the road together since 1998. Touring back then wasn't likely, however, as she and Monica, 44, were in a feud that persisted for years after they famously had a fight backstage while rehearsing for a performance at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) following the release of their hit duet. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! In a press statement, Brandy reiterated her excitement about reuniting with Monica, calling it "a full-circle moment." She added, "Monica and I coming together again isn't just about the music — it's about honoring where we came from and how far we've both come." Monica, for her part, said, "This tour is a celebration of our history, our impact, and the fans who have grown with us. Brandy and I have been on our own unique journeys, and coming back together in this way is a reminder of the power of respect, strength, and real music." According to Long, whose real name is Priscilla Renea Hamilton, she is "super excited" to join Brandy, Monica, Rowland, 44, and Roberts, 27, on tour, for what feels like something that's been in the cards all along. "See, a lot of people don't know, but I've been writing songs for 15 years, so I know all the girls. We know each other," she told PEOPLE. "I'm just super honored," Long — who credits some of her favorite Brandy songs as being "When You Touch Me" and "Almost Doesn't Count" — added. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Long said she also isn't afraid to fangirl like everyone else who is excited about the highly-anticipated reunion between the two R&B stars, explaining, "I'm gonna be in the audience just like everybody else. I'm gonna get off stage, I'm gonna put my sweats on, and I'm coming back to watch." Tickets to The Boy Is Mine Tour are available to purchase now. Read the original article on People
CBS News
27 minutes ago
- CBS News
18-year-old dead, 2 teens injured after crashing into tree in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, police say
An 18-year-old woman is dead, and two teens were injured after their car crashed into a tree in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Bristol Township police said. The crash happened on Wistar Road near Armstrong Middle School just before 4 p.m., according to police. Police said a 17-year-old boy was driving a white 2002 Mustang eastbound on Wistar Road at a high rate of speed with two passengers inside, including the 18-year-old woman in the backseat, when he lost control and struck a tree. The 18-year-old was taken to St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, where she died from her injuries, according to police. The 17-year-old driver, who is from Levittown, Bucks County, and another 17-year-old boy sitting in the front passenger seat were both placed in stable condition at St. Mary, police said. The crash is under investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Bristol Township Police Department.
CBS News
27 minutes ago
- CBS News
Justice Dept. shuts down dark web child abuse sites that had 120,000 members and millions of files
When FBI agents arrived outside William Spearman's home in the quiet suburb of Madison, Alabama, in November 2022, they were prepared for danger. Their search warrant was so important to the bureau that it was approved by the FBI director himself. When the agents breached Spearman's door with tactical explosives, Spearman fought back, tussling with the agents as three of his handguns remained barely out of reach. The FBI managed to handcuff and arrest Spearman, a high-value arrest, in what a top Justice Department official called "one of the most successful" prosecutions of its kind. Spearman went by the nickname "Boss" and was labeled by the Justice Department as "one of the most significant" purveyors of child sex abuse material in the world. His arrest in 2022, his guilty plea a year later and his eventual life sentence were part of an unprecedented takedown of a prodigious child abuse network. Spearman is one of at least 18 people convicted so far of leading and utilizing the dark web to share hundreds of thousands of unlawful sexually exploitative images of children. The Justice Department calls the investigation and prosecutions Operation Grayskull; it helped secure those arrests and shutter four heavily trafficked dark web sites where violent and horrific images of child sexual abuse were traded and housed. The Operation Grayskull investigation launched in 2020, when law enforcement agents noticed a spike in traffic to a dark web site suspected of hosting child abuse material. The dark web child abuse sites eventually attracted more than 120,000 members, millions of files and at least 100,000 visits in a single day, according to an FBI official who spoke with CBS News. "Even for prosecutors, it is difficult to understand how pervasive this is," said Matthew Galeotti, head of the Justice Department Criminal Division. "Because it happens on the dark web, people aren't aware of it. It's extremely troubling," he told CBS News. Spearman's case has parallels to many of the others unearthed by Operation Grayskull. Spearman was accused of helping lead a dark web site with thousands of users and members. A sentencing memo submitted to the court said it was "no wonder" that he had tried to resist the FBI, rather than surrendering. "The devices at his desk contained massive quantities of evidence proving that he was the lead administrator of Website A," the memo said. "Unsurprisingly, the defendant's devices also contained an enormous collection of images and videos depicting the rape and abuse of children." Selwyn Rosenstein was sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2022, for operating a dark website for unlawful exploitative images. Prosecutors said the platform "was not simply a website; it was a large, active community of pedophiles and (abuse material) enthusiasts. And it existed in part because of the Defendant's criminal acts." Rosenstein possessed such a large quantity of abusive images, he needed to store some on a server he used to run his business, according to the Justice Department. Speaking from a second floor conference room at Justice Department headquarters in Washington last week, Galeotti told CBS News the members of these dark web child abuse sites often "earn" membership by paying a fee, "helping moderate the site" or contributing child abuse images or material. Galeotti said, "We luckily have very sophisticated prosecutors and agents who work specifically on this kind of thing. These are people who have a more of a technical understanding." "The defendants in this case, as sadistic as they may be, are somewhat sophisticated," and make use of encryption, he added. Operation Grayskull also secured the conviction of Matthew Garrell of Raleigh, North Carolina, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for operating on a dark web site for abuse material. "Garrell engaged in an extremely complex and technologically sophisticated conspiracy that far exceeds the typical child-exploitation offenses," prosecutors said. They argued in a court filing that Garrell possessed a predator's "handbook," with "detailed instructions" for grooming children for future abuse. The takedown of dark web leaders and users also included the convictions of men from Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Texas, Washington, Arkansas, Michigan and Oklahoma. "They were part of an online community of hundreds of thousands of people, with leadership roles rules and a common dedicated purpose" said Chris Delzotto, an acting FBI deputy assistant director. Delzotto told CBS News, "Few people would have envisioned how (child abuse materials) would permeate the internet, the way it has today." The federal investigation which uncovered and shuttered the first dark web site, also led to the closure of three others. Abbigail Beccaccio, an FBI unit chief, told CBS News. "The leadership team that operated one of the sites also operated several of the others." The Justice Department is touting the shutdown of those sites as a victory to help deter future abuse or production of unlawful images. "This is one of the most successful of all time," Galeotti said. "We dismantled four websites that have not regenerated."
