Carmine Appice Reveals ‘Cease-and-Desist Letter’ From Mötley Crüe And Addresses Mick Mars’ Lawsuit

In a recent interview with Goldmine, rock legend Carmine Appice discussed the controversy that arose following Mick Mars‘ departure from Mötley Crüe. The drama surrounding Mars’ exit from the band has generated quite a buzz, with Appice’s comments only adding fuel to the fire.

After Mars stopped touring with Mötley Crüe in 2022, Appice claimed that it was due to the band’s use of backing tracks, which Mick Mars opposed. With this, a controversy surrounding the band arose, and this year, months after the guitarist’s departure followed by speculations, a new development occurred and increased the tension. Mars filed a lawsuit against the band due to contractual issues, an event that Appice argued vindicated his claims.

In the interview with Goldmine, when the drummer was asked if he was surprised by the reactions to his comments about Mick Mars and Mötley Crüe, he expressed genuine astonishment after mentioning how the recent news regarding the lawsuit proved him right. He mentioned that the responses from fans, other musicians, and Nikki Sixx himself took him by surprise, as he never anticipated that his statements would spark such a widespread and intense response.

He explained himself by saying:

“Oh, it’s been unbelievable. Did you see what came out since then between Mick and the rest of the band? I’m sure you did. It’s all so sad, but it vindicates my story, which I never thought would start an entire viral internet thing. The response that came out of it was amazing, and his [Nikki Sixx] response of calling me a ‘washed-up drummer’ was pretty wild and pretty hurtful.

But I got a great response from people through their comments, and a lot of people are behind me, so it’s all good. That said, I did get a cease-and-desist letter from all these lawyers who work for Mötley Crüe, so I can’t go into too much detail. I have to be careful with what I say, but then again, we’re not really talking about details; we’re just talking about what happened. Ultimately, all this only helps my album that’s coming out.”

Another interesting situation occurred when Mötley Crüe’s bassist Nikki Sixx took to Twitter to lash out at Appice, calling him a ‘washed-up drummer‘ following his claims about Mars’ departure. Angered by this statement, the musician shared a tweet embodying a similar tone, which increased the tension. However, fans quickly came to the drummer’s defense, showing their support for the rock legend, and apparently, they were not the only ones to do so.

Appice detailed in his interview how Nikki Sixx’s harsh comments took aback both him and other artists. He didn’t expect Sixx to react so aggressively, especially considering their previous friendship. He mentioned receiving texts from fellow musicians like Derek Sherinian and Stephen Pearcy, who expressed their confusion and dismay over Sixx’s behavior.

His words regarding the topic followed:

“I honestly was very surprised. I didn’t think he’d go there, all things considered. It really was a surprising thing because we were friends. And after the fact, I challenged Nikki Sixx to a jam-off, but I got no response. I’m not surprised, as I could jam circles around all of them. I’m sure of that. But yeah, what he said was sad because we were friends, but I guess we’re not anymore.

I got texts from Derek Sherinian saying, ‘Man, what the hell is wrong with Nikki?’ and Stephen Pearcy apparently said to Nikki, ‘Dude, what the hell are you doing here? We’re all friends.’ And then I started to see a ton of responses from other musicians who said that they don’t like Nikki and the rest of those guys too much and that the fans have been getting on Mötley a lot… I read that and was like, ‘Oh, my God. I didn’t know that.’ I really didn’t know about any of that stuff, so I had no way of knowing that this whole thing would get as big as it did.”

The unfolding drama between Carmine Appice, Mick Mars, and Mötley Crüe showcases the turbulent nature often found in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. With Appice promoting his upcoming album amidst the controversy, fans and fellow musicians alike are watching closely to see how this story develops further.