The hits just keep coming, but not the kind fans wanted. An ugly legal war has erupted inside Jane’s Addiction after frontman Perry Farrell was sued by bandmates Dave Navarro, Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins, claiming he physically attacked Navarro onstage.
The 36-page lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, accuses Farrell of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
It claims Farrell’s “violent outbursts” made it impossible for Jane’s Addiction to continue, leading to the cancellation of the “Imminent Redemption Tour” and a loss of over $10 million.
The spark? A now-infamous September 13, 2024 incident at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion, where Farrell, in the middle of performing “Ocean Size,” charged at Navarro mid-song, elbowing him as the guitarist tried to block him with a raised arm.
Bandmates and crew rushed the stage, dragging Farrell away as the lights cut and chaos unfolded in front of stunned fans.
The band’s suit claims Farrell’s behaviour forced the tour’s cancellation, with Navarro revealing in court filings that he postponed his Scottish wedding, losing $50,000 in deposits, and ended $25,000-per-month disability payments to re-join the band, only for the reunion to collapse in chaos.
Video of the onstage scuffle quickly went viral last year, capturing the moment Farrell lunged at Navarro, who looked stunned as crew and bassist Avery shouted for them to stop, before the house lights dropped and the stage descended into darkness.
But Farrell isn’t backing down. This week, he filed a countersuit against Navarro, Avery, and Perkins, claiming they bullied and harassed him for years, including deliberately playing their instruments at ear-splitting volumes so he couldn’t hear himself sing, sabotaging shows, and creating a “years-long bullying campaign.”
Farrell’s countersuit also accuses Navarro and Avery of physically attacking him onstage during the Boston show and alleges they assaulted both Perry and his wife, Etty Lau Farrell, backstage that night.
The frontman argues that his bandmates made him a “scapegoat,” falsely claiming he had “mental health difficulties” to justify cancelling the remainder of the tour without consulting him.
Etty Lau Farrell and the band’s touring company, Wilton’s Hilton Inc., are also named as co-plaintiffs in the countersuit, which seeks damages for physical injury, emotional distress, and attorney’s fees.
The claims are dramatic: Farrell says his bandmates’ “harassment tactics” hit a boiling point in Boston, leading to the alleged assaults on and off stage.
Meanwhile, Navarro, Avery, and Perkins insist that Farrell’s “sudden violent outbursts” and inability to function as a frontman left them no choice but to call off the tour.
The collapse of the reunion tour also reportedly cancelled the band’s upcoming album, which had been touted as a return to the raw energy that made Jane’s Addiction a defining act in alternative rock since their formation in the late 1980s.
The onstage meltdown and legal fallout mark a tragic twist for a band whose chaos once felt like part of its edge but now seems to have become its downfall.
Neither side has publicly commented beyond the court filings, and it remains unclear whether mediation could save the band or if this truly marks the end for Jane’s Addiction.
For now, fans who once packed stadiums to watch Jane’s Addiction will have to settle for courtroom transcripts instead of a live comeback as the band’s legacy hangs in limbo amid the bitter legal fight.
