Jane’s Addiction Frontman Perry Farrell Sued Over Onstage Altercation

Bandmates Accuse Farrell of Assault, Emotional Distress, and Contract Breach After Tour Collapse

A legal firestorm has erupted within the legendary alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction following a September 2024 onstage incident that ended with the cancellation of their reunion tour and the unraveling of the band itself. According to Rolling Stone, guitarist Dave Navarro, bassist Eric Avery, and drummer Stephen Perkins have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against frontman Perry Farrell.

The complaint levels serious allegations at Farrell, including assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract. The plaintiffs claim that Farrell’s behavior led to more than $10 million in financial losses tied to the canceled tour and halted plans for a new album—their first full-length collaboration since Ritual de lo Habitual in 1990.

“The band is no longer able to function due to Perry’s erratic and harmful behavior,” the 36-page legal filing states, citing incidents of violent outbursts and claims of excessive intoxication that impacted Farrell’s onstage performances. The suit also demands that Farrell pay the band’s outstanding expenses from the tour.

According to the suit, Navarro gave up $25,000 per month in long COVID disability payments to rejoin the group and underwent physical and mental preparation, including therapy and doctor visits, in order to return to touring. He even postponed his wedding in Scotland, forfeiting $50,000 in vendor deposits.

Central to the lawsuit is a claim that the group had agreed to make decisions democratically. However, the complaint alleges that Farrell frequently overruled the others—often at the insistence of his wife, Etty Lau Farrell, who performs as a dancer with the band. Tensions reportedly boiled over in Las Vegas when Etty insisted on playing a pre-show video featuring herself and other dancers despite objections from other band members. “This is not a democracy,” she reportedly shouted, threatening to end the tour if her demands weren’t met.

Farrell’s onstage behavior also came under scrutiny. The lawsuit claims he frequently performed inebriated, slurring his speech and going on long tangents between songs. Matters came to a head at a September 13 show in Boston, where Farrell allegedly shoved Navarro mid-performance during “Ocean Size,” leading to a physical separation by band members and staff.

Backstage, the situation escalated further. The suit claims that Farrell struck Navarro in the face during a confrontation, worsening Navarro’s condition and evoking painful trauma tied to his mother’s murder in 1983. Navarro, Avery, and Perkins ultimately decided they could no longer continue with the band under such conditions.

Attorney Christopher Frost, representing the three bandmates, told Rolling Stone, “They hoped to revive the band’s original spirit, but Farrell’s volatility made that impossible. His actions terminated the tour, derailed a new record deal, and left his bandmates responsible for the financial fallout.”

The group had previously released two singles—“Imminent Redemption” and “True Love”—and had eight more instrumental tracks awaiting vocals. Those plans are now defunct, despite a signed agreement to deliver 12 tracks to ADA, a Warner Music Group affiliate. The lawsuit warns that all members may be personally liable for repaying advances from the label.

Financial losses go beyond album plans. Each band member was promised $210,000 for the North American leg of the tour. They also owe over $240,000 in unpaid commissions to their management and legal team. “This tour would have been a crucial promotional tool for the upcoming album,” the suit reads, emphasizing how its cancellation also jeopardized potential future work with Live Nation.

Jane’s Addiction has remained largely silent since the fallout, but Navarro recently confirmed in Guitar Player that the band is officially finished. “That moment onstage destroyed everything,” he said. “There’s no coming back.”