Guitarist Dave Navarro is suing his former Jane’s Addiction bandmate Perry Farrell for assault and battery following their on-stage altercation in the middle of their show in Boston last September.
According to TMZ, Navarro and fellow Jane’s Addiction members Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins have also filed an additional lawsuit against Perry, suing him for emotional distress, negligence, and breach of contract – as the incident resulted in the band being forced to cancel the remainder of their tour and scrap the release of their new album.
Due to the major financial losses caused by these cancellations, Navarro, Avery, and Perkins are seeking at least $10 million in damages.
Navarro agreed to rejoin Jane’s in 2024, as he continued to fight long-term COVID-19 complications while receiving $25,000 a month from a disability.
In response to these lawsuits, Farrell’s lawyers issued a statement on Wednesday (July 16th), saying:
“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.”
During Jane’s Addiction’s September 2024 concert in Boston, Farrell lashed out at Navarro for allegedly playing too loud. In fan-shot footage of the altercation, the frontman can be seen shoving the guitarist and taking a swing at him before the two were separated by Avery and the band’s crew. Navarro claims that the fighting continued backstage, where Farrell “threw another unexpected punch at him, striking him on the left side of the face.”
In a recent interview with Guitar Player, Navarro ruled out any possibility of Jane’s Addiction ever performing together again as a result of this incident, calling the concert “my least favorite gig that I have ever played.”
