Judge Sides With Mötley Crüe in Mick Mars Firing Dispute
A judge has ruled that Mötley Crüe were within their rights to remove guitarist Mick Mars from the band’s business affairs after he stopped touring in 2022, a significant legal setback in the former member’s ongoing dispute with his longtime bandmates. The decision addresses Mars’ attempt to challenge the band’s actions after more than four decades as part of the group’s classic line-up.
MusicRadar reported that federal judge Patrick Walsh found the band acted within its rights to dismiss Mars as an “official” for business matters, while also noting he was owed $500,000 for his 25% stake—an amount offset by tour-related money he must repay.
Mars filed the action in 2023, alleging he had been pressured into a severance agreement that would strip him of his 25% ownership in the Mötley Crüe partnership in exchange for a 5% share of the band’s 2023 tour. He also claimed the group engaged in partial or complete miming during live shows, arguing he was the only member playing entirely live.
The band’s attorney Sasha Frid said those performance allegations collapsed during testimony, including input from Mars’ own retained expert, and that Mars ultimately recanted the claims under oath. The ruling also left Mars financially on the hook: Walsh determined that while the band owed him $500,000, Mars owed $750,000 in advance money tied to the 2022 tour he exited, leading to him paying the band roughly $244,000—an outcome previously reflected in coverage of Mars’ reaction to having to pay Mötley Crüe.
Now 74, Mars has dealt with serious health issues in recent years, but he has continued making music, including releasing his solo album The Other Side Of Mars in 2024. The legal dispute, however, appears set to remain a defining chapter in Mötley Crüe’s post-touring era and their internal battle over ownership and control.
