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There have been plenty of high-profile musical acts that ended up dealing with a pretty messy divorce thanks to some internal strife. That includes Jane’s Addiction, which went on a permanent hiatus due to an altercation that led to Dave Navarro suing the frontman who fought him during a show for a very hefty sum.
It goes without saying that you need to be pretty talented to make a living as a professional musician, and you don’t need to be an industry insider to know you’re going to encounter a lot of people with pretty massive egos in that particular line of work.
There may be some musicians who’ve managed to remain fairly humble after achieving widespread fame and recognition, but if you end up in a position where you’re routinely able to sell out venues packed with screaming fans who idolize you, it’s a bit hard not to let that success get to your head.
That’s also true if you’ve been influential enough to be dubbed “The Godfather of Alternative Music,” which is the moniker that’s been bestowed upon Perry Farrell, who started serving as the frontman for Jane’s Addiction in 1985 and eventually went on to found Lollapalooza.
It’s safe to say he’s done pretty well for himself, but he’s now found himself staring down the barrel of what could be a very expensive lawsuit courtesy of what transpired at a concert last year.
Dave Navarro and the rest of Jane’s Addiction have filed a lawsuit against Perry Farrell over a fight that led to the band dissolving
As is the case with many rock bands, Jane’s Addiction has experienced some ups and downs that have led to the band breaking up and reuniting on multiple occasions.
Lollapalooza was originally positioned as a swan song for the group after their initial breakup in 1991, and guitarist Dave Navarro ended up linking up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers during what ended up being a hiatus that ended when the band reunited six years later.
It’s been a bit touch-and-go since then, but it appeared things were back on the right track when all four members of the group played together for the first time in close to 15 years in 2024 to usher in a reunion tour. Unfortunately, it went off the rails during a show in Boston in September where Farrell had to be restrained after trying to go after Navarro in the middle of the set.
The tour was subsequently called off before Farrell apologized for the incident, and while Navarro said he had plans to continue making new music with bassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins, the trio eventually decided to pull the plug.
According to TMZ, they’re also listed as the plaintiffs in a lawsuit where Farrell has been accused of preventing Jane’s Addiction from cashing in on the reunion with the outburst that cost them at least $10 million based on the amount of money that’s being sought.
The legal filing explicitly cites the assault and battery Navarro says he was subjected to courtesy of Farrell, while he, Avery, and Perkins are all going after their former bandmate for the emotional distress, negligence, and breach of contract that was factored into the eight-figure sum they’re hoping to get.