Members of Jane’s Addiction have sued the band's lead singer, Perry Farrell, following an on-stage altercation in September 2024, which saw Farrell punch guitarist Dave Navarro during a performance of Ocean Size in Boston. As a result, the gig was immediately stopped – and the rest of the tour was canceled shortly after.
Now, Navarro, alongside bassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins, are seeking at least $10 million from the singer, with claims the band lost that amount from the tour cancellation and suspension of all related activities.
The complaint, as reported by Variety, was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, also includes an assault and battery charge relating to Farrell’s altercation with Navarro, and alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
Hours after the trio sued him, Farrell filed a legal complaint, not a countersuit, against his former bandmates. In a 30-page complaint, the lead singer alleges he had no say in the tour's cancellation and in the band breaking up, and accuses his former bandmates of a years-long campaign of harassment and bullying.
He asserts that the on-stage altercation was a result of built-up frustration over the other members “playing their instruments at a high volume so that he could not hear himself sing without blasting his own in-ear monitors at an unsafe level,” and also alleges that Navarro assaulted Farrell and his wife backstage.
Conversely, in their complaint, the rest of the band members mention that “Perry’s repeated and unprovoked attack on Navarro was especially painful because Perry knew that Navarro was still weak and suffering from the effects of long Covid-19.”
Furthermore, they state that the altercation continued backstage, with Farrell allegedly throwing “another unexpected punch at [Navarro], striking him on the left side of the face.”
Earlier this year, Navarro spoke about what ended up being the band's last-ever show.
“There was an altercation onstage, and all the hard work and dedication and writing and hours in the studio, leaving home and crisscrossing the country and Europe and trying to overcome my illness – it all came to a screeching halt and forever destroyed the band’s life,” he told Guitar Player. “And there's no chance for the band to ever play together again.
“I have to say that’s my least favorite gig, without throwing animosity around. I’ll just say that the experience prior to that gig, when we were in Europe and gelling, we were getting along. There was no ego issue; it was just four guys making great music, just like we did in the beginning.”
After last year's high-profile Jane's Addiction reunion was cut short, Navarro has picked up the pieces and is now gearing up for his post-Jane's career with a rare PRS build.
Update 7/17: Perry Farrell‘s legal team has now responded to the band’s suit and supplied Guitar World with the following statement:
"This is yet another clear example of the group uniting to isolate and bully frontman Perry Farrell. The timing of this baseless lawsuit is no coincidence – it was filed only after they caught wind of legal action coming from our side. 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.
“Just like when they released a defamatory and entirely unfounded statement about Perry’s mental health and unilaterally canceled the remaining tour dates without his input, they’re once again scrambling to get ahead of the truth in a desperate effort to save face."
