Mick Mars filed a lawsuit against Motley Crue in April 2023, claiming that he was unjustly fired after he dropped out of their world tour due to worsening health issues in October 2022. Mars was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis when he was 27.
On Thursday (Jan. 29th), Rolling Stone reported that an arbitrator had ruled in favor of Mötley Crüe, stating that Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, and Vince Neil were within their right to part ways with Mars, and to remove him as an officer and director of Mötley Crüe Inc.
Mars was ordered to repay $750,030 from an advance he previously received since he missed 69 live shows. It was also ruled that he must sell his ownership stake in Mötley Crüe to his former bandmates for $505,737. Mars therefore owes the band $244,293.
Mars’ attorney Ed McPherson has now responded to the ruling, slamming the arbitrator’s decision.
“The decision is awful. It’s not fair,” McPherson told Rolling Stone. “This band has never been fair to Mick. When Mick said ‘I can’t tour anymore because of a hideous disease, but I can still write, perform one-offs or residencies, and record,’ they said, ‘Sorry, Mick. It’s been 43 years, but you’re out. Goodbye, and we don’t want to pay you anymore.’ This arbitrator said it’s fine. We need to figure out if we’re going to challenge [the decision]. It’s ridiculous. It’s just a question of whether he wants to keep pursuing this. Basically, he’s over Mötley Crüe.”
Mötley Crüe’s lawyer, Sasha Frid of Biller Barondess LLP, also reacted to the ruling.
“This dispute was about protecting the integrity and legacy of one of the most successful bands in rock history,” Frid said. “With the arbitrator rejecting every claim and enforcing the parties’ agreements as written, the band has been fully vindicated — legally, financially, and factually.”
