LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Former Mötley Crüe guitarist and co-founding member Mick Mars, born Robert Alan Deal, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday (April 6) against Vince Neil (vocals), Nikki Sixx (bass, vocals), and Tommy Lee (drummer, vocals). Mars claims the bandmates made him leave the group, and they have removed him from receiving profits associated with the band.
Mars claims that records regarding various Crüe business dealings, in which he has a 25% stake, are being deliberately withheld from him. The guitarist has asked the judge for an inspection of the band’s business records so he can be awarded an unspecified amount due to him.
Defendants mentioned in the suit include Mötley Crüe Touring, Inc., Mötley Crüe, Inc., Mötley Records, LLC and Masters 2008, LLC, Red, White and Crue, Inc., Masters 2000, Inc., and Cruefest, LLC, among other unnamed business entities and individuals associated with the band’s corporations.
“It is a tragedy that after 41 successful years of playing together, a band would callously attempt to throw out a founding member who is unable to tour anymore because he has a chronic disease,” said Mars’ lawyer, Ed McPherson. “Mick has been pushed around for far too long and we are not going to let that continue.”
The guitarist also stated that the band demanded that he sign a severance agreement, which would remove him from future interests in return for a 5% stake in the group’s 2023 tour, featuring Mars replacement guitarist John 5 (Marilyn Manson).
In the lawsuit, Mars says that he could no longer tour with the group as a result of his ongoing battle with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory disease that can cause some of the bones in the spine to fuse over time, but that he wanted to continue to participate in other concerts or residencies with the band that didn’t involve excessive travel. As a result, Mars alleges that he was fired.
In October 2022, a statement by the three remaining band members announced that Mars was retiring from touring and that he would remain an official member of the band, presumably to continue writing and recording .
The lawsuit also claims that Mars founded the band, chose vocalist Vince Neil, and named the band Mötley Crüe. Sixx and Mars were the two constant members of the band since its formation in 1981, according to the lawsuit, which makes them the two consistent shareholders in the band’s business dealings over the years.
Mars claims he was the only member to perform 100% live during The Stadium Tour’s 36 shows in 2022. Mars also accuses Sixx of “gaslighting” him about his guitar skills being subpar, and claims he played each show start to finish, while Sixx pre-recorded all of his basspart and didnt’ “play a single note” on the stage. Mars also claims Neil’s vocals and some of Lee’s drum parts were also pre-recorded.
The band’s litigation attorney, Sasha Frid, calls the suit from Mars baseless stating he resigned from the group and was compensated fairly for his 41 years with the band.
“Mick’s lawsuit is unfortunate and completely off-base. In 2008, Mick voted for and signed an agreement in which he and every other band member agreed that ‘in no event shall any resigning shareholder be entitled to receive any monies attributable to live performances (i.e., tours),’” Frid tells Variety.
“After the last tour, Mick publicly resigned from Mötley Crüe. Despite the fact that the band did not owe Mick anything — and with Mick owing the band millions in advances that he did not pay back — the band offered Mick a generous compensation package to honor his career with the band. Manipulated by his manager and lawyer, Mick refused and chose to file this ugly public lawsuit.
“Equally unfortunate are his claims about the band’s live performances,” Frid replies. “Mötley Crüe always performs its songs live, but during the last tour, Mick struggled to remember chords, played the wrong songs and made constant mistakes which led to his departure from the band. There are multiple declarations from the band’s crew attesting to his decline. The band did everything to protect him (and) tried to keep these matters private to honor Mick’s legacy and take the high road. Unfortunately, Mick chose to file this lawsuit to badmouth the band. The band feels empathy for Mick, wishes him well and hopes that he can get better guidance from his advisors who are driven by greed.”
Frid also provided the publication with signed declarations from seven members of the crew who all allege that Mars’ performances were subpar and created issues with group. Complaints include Mars consistently forgetting chords where “the band would have to stop and re-teach those parts to Mick to remind him of the arrangements … He would consistently miss notes; play out of tune; play the wrong chords during a song; stay within a chorus of a song and never come out of it; forget the song that he was playing and start a different one; and would get lost in songs.” They also claim Mars would miss cues set for him.
In his suit, Mars claims he missed his cues due to issues with the sound mix sent to his in-ear monitors.
“Retiring from touring is resigning from the band,” Frid states. “The band’s primary function is to tour and perform concerts. And as you saw from the amendment, if a shareholder resigns, he cannot receive any compensation from touring – which is what Mick is trying to get. It’s clear-cut that Mick is not entitled to any more money.”
The band’s attorney confirms Mars will continue to receive royalties from publishing and sound recordings, but is not a shareholder for future business. No arbitration date has been set.
