Mötley Crüe is once again making headlines as Nikki Sixx, the band’s bassist, recently mocked guitarist Mick Mars in front of their fans on social media. The incident comes amid an ongoing lawsuit filed by Mars against the rest of the band, claiming financial mistreatment and gaslighting over his guitar skills, not to mention his claims against Sixx that he used pre-recorded tracks on their most recent tour.
In October, Mars announced his retirement from touring with Mötley Crüe due to his ongoing struggle with ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis causing inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments. Mars filed a lawsuit on April 6th, stating that his bandmates held an emergency shareholders’ meeting to remove him from Mötley Crüe and strip him of his shares in the corporation managing the group’s business interests. He alleges that his percentage of profits was cut from 25% to 5% then to 7% following his decision to step back from touring.
In the lawsuit, Mars accused Nikki Sixx of gaslighting him about his diminished guitar skills, despite Sixx allegedly not playing a single live note on bass during a recent tour. Mars claims that all of Nikki’s parts were pre-recorded. Mötley Crüe had filed an arbitration case against Mars in February to prove that they had the right to fire him from the band.
Responding to Mars’ claims in the lawsuit, Nikki tweeted the Instagram story he had shared featuring a picture of himself playing the bass and jokingly added the note, ‘Here’s a photo of me not playing bass live.’
Nikki Sixx followed up with a tweet that read:
“Can’t make this shit up, or can you? Have a killer weekend.”
This sarcastic response by Sixx has stirred up further controversy around the ongoing legal battle between Mars and Mötley Crüe. As Mötley Crüe fans eagerly await the outcome of this lawsuit, the band’s internal conflict has undoubtedly cast a shadow over their legacy. It remains to be seen whether the band members can resolve their issues and continue making music together or if this marks the end of an era for Mötley Crüe.
Can’t make this shit up or can you? 😂 Have a killer weekend. pic.twitter.com/ih1nnHO80P
— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) April 16, 2023
