Mick Mars’ lawyer has updated the public on the ongoing legal dispute between the guitarist and his former Mötley Crüe bandmates. Ed McPherson informed Rolling Stone that a judge ruled on January 16 that the band took too long to turn over certain requested documents, claiming this ruling was in the guitarist’s favor:
“Finally, somebody, somewhere, told these guys they can’t bully Mick anymore. We’re in the middle of a huge arbitration that will ultimately decide if Mick has to give up his shares or not, if they did things properly or not. Obviously, we claim they didn’t do anything properly. But they feel that they’re above the rules. And that’s what this lawsuit was about.”
He added:
“This was them feeling they were above the rules, and this judge saying, ‘No, you’re not. And you may have given all the documents now, so there’s nothing left for me to do, but you’re going to pay for it. I think that’s a pretty huge victory for Mick. If they want to claim a victory, that’s fine. But this is someone finally telling Mick, ‘No, you’re not crazy. These guys are bullying you. And we’re not going to let it happen.'”
The Band Also Claims Victory
The conflict between Mars and Mötley Crüe is still not fully resolved. The main issue – Mars’ claim of being illegally removed from the band – is yet to be decided by a private arbitrator. But the band is also relieved at Judge Chalfant’s latest decision to dismiss the former member’s further legal filings, considering them unnecessary following the court’s ruling.
The Crüe attorney shared:
“The case is over. That’s the key takeaway. By denying the petition as moot and ending the case, the court found that the band turned over all the documents to Mars, and there is nothing more to do. The band went above and beyond its obligations by providing much more documents than the statute required – indeed, the court’s decision explained the thousands of documents that the band provided to Mars.”
The Details Of The Legal Battle
Mick Mars quit touring with Mötley Crüe in 2022 due to health problems but later sued the band, claiming that after his announcement, other members tried to remove him as a major stakeholder in the group’s corporation and business interests.
The guitarist alleged that he was pressured to sign a severance agreement that would reduce his 25% stake in the band’s business interests to a 5% share in the 2023 tour, which would then drop to 0% for future tours.
According to Mars, the band’s management later increased the offer to a 7.5% stake in the 2023 tour, depending on him giving up his involvement in the band and their businesses. The guitarist’s refusal to sign led to the band choosing arbitration instead of a public lawsuit.
