Things are getting more mötley and less crüelike with Mötley Crüe. Guitarist Mick Mars is in a fight with the rest of the band over his status, playing out both in court and in public statements. The spat traces back to October, when Mars announced he would no longer tour with the band due to spinal pain but still planned to be a member. Now Mars is claiming the band attempted to oust him and take his 25 percent stake in the band. On January 16, 2024, Mars won an initial legal battle against his current/former/TBD bandmates. He has yet to win the war.
Why is Mars suing?
Mars filed a lawsuit on April 6, 2023, to review records of seven of Mötley Crüe’s businesses, which he alleges the band attempted to fire him from. Being kicked out of the band would also mean revoking his quarter stake in the band. (Crüe reportedly offered him 5 percent of their current tour without him and later upped it to 7.5 percent.) Per Variety, the suit claims bassist Nikki Sixx “gaslighted†Mars about his guitar playing and that Mars was the only member fully playing his instrument on the hair metal band’s 2022 tour. An attorney for Mötley Crüe, Sasha Frid, later responded that Mars “publicly resigned†and that “the band did not owe Mick anything.†The live wire of an issue is still playing out in the press as the band and their attorneys argue about what retiring or resigning means and clash over their current performances.
A long time coming
Mars spoke to Variety the day news of the lawsuit dropped, claiming the band has wanted to replace him since 1987 and criticizing his (possibly former) bandmates. “I’m pretty upset that they’re even pulling this crap, when I carried these bastards for years,†he said, claiming the band’s last tour with him were their “worst†shows due to those alleged instrumental recordings. “It just makes me really upset that they want to try and bully me more or less out of the band, so it’s the last man standing that collects everything.â€
Sixx responded to the lawsuit in a tweet, writing, “Sad day for us and we don’t deserve this considering how many years we’ve been propping him up — We still wish him the best and hope he find’s lawyers and managers who aren’t damaging him.â€
What’s this about managers damaging him?
The band’s manager, Allen Kovac, told Variety that Mars’s lawsuit is “a smear campaign†against the band. He went on to imply Mars had cognitive decline — something Mars and his lawsuit have disputed — and his team was engaging in “elder abuse.†“He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him,†Kovac claimed. The disagreement now also includes signed declarations from crew members claiming Mars struggled to perform during rehearsals and performances, which was part of where the recordings came into play. (Kovac insisted that the band performed live, even over recorded loops.) Mars’s attorney, Edwin F. McPherson, replied that the declarations were not relevant to the case and only proved why Mars wanted to retire from touring. “You don’t lose your shares just because you play the wrong note, after 41 years,†he said. And even if Mars’s retirement from touring meant resigning from the band, McPherson added, “If Jeff Bezos stops working at Amazon someday, he still gets to own the company! So does Mick.â€
An early victory for Mars
Mars won a preliminary legal battle against his Schrödinger’s bandmates. Per Billboard, a judge has ruled that the Crüe should have turned over “financial records, operating agreements and other key information,†and that Mars is entitled to compensation for the legal fees he incurred acquiring stuff he should have had access to in the first place. “The requests were not burdensome. Yet, Mars was compelled to file suit, and it appears plain that production would not have occurred without it. Mars is entitled to attorney fees,†LA Superior Court judge James C. Chalfant wrote. This means that the initial lawsuit from April is now moot. The overarching issue, whether Mötley Crüe had the right to kick out their former band member, will be determined in private arbitration.