Mick Mars Scores Win in Ongoing Legal Fight with Mötley Crüe

Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

January 17th 10:24 AM

The latest ruling from the ongoing legal fight between Mick Mars and Mötley Crüe finds the guitarist with a significant win.

Per Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant ruled that the Crüe should have disclosed the corporate documents Mars requested, which was at the center of his lawsuit. Additionally, Judge Chalfant ruled that the Crüe needs to cover Mars’ legal fees from this ordeal.

However, now that the corporate documents requested have been handed over, Judge Chalfant ruled Mars’ lawsuit as “moot,” which Mötley Crüe’s legal team is viewing as a victory. Meanwhile, Mars’ legal rep said the matter of whether the guitarist was illegally squeezed from the band will still be determined during private arbitration later in 2024.

Mars filed a lawsuit in April 2023 against Mötley Crüe alleging his percentage of band profits was cut from 25 percent to 5 percent.

He claimed in his lawsuit the band held a meeting to “unilaterally” remove him from Mötley Crüe. He was also allegedly removed from many of the band’s various corporations and LLCs. Additionally, Mars claims bassist Nikki Sixx repeatedly “gaslighted” the guitarist. Sixx told Mars he consistently forgot chords and fans were complaining about his playing. (Mars claimed in the lawsuit Sixx “did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour” and accused him of using backing tracks and pantomiming.)

RELATED: Mötley Crüe Wrote a Song About Never Getting 'Canceled'

This led to Mötley Crüe issuing a statement in response to Mars’ lawsuit calling it “unfortunate and completely off-base.” The band said, in part, “In 2008, Mick voted for and signed an agreement in which he and every other band member agreed that ‘in no event shall any resigning shareholder be entitled to receive any monies attributable to live performances (i.e., tours).’ After the last tour, Mick publicly resigned from Mötley Crüe. Despite the fact that the band did not owe Mick anything — and with Mick owing the band millions in advances that he did not pay back — the band offered Mick a generous compensation package to honor his career with the band.”

Furthermore, Mötley Crüe insisted they always perform live without backing tracks and stood by the claim Mars’ playing was declining. Mars then told Variety in an interview following news of the lawsuit, “Those guys have been hammering on me since ’87, trying to replace me. He added, ” … It’s just frustrating for me. I’m pretty upset that they’re even pulling this crap, when I carried these bastards for years.”

This led to Crüe manager Allen Kovac to speak at length to Variety. Kovac referred to Mars’ entire legal strategy as “a smear campaign … misrepresenting the facts to the fans.” He further noted, “What’s upsetting to me is not Mick, but his representatives, who have guided Mick to say and do harmful things to the brand he cares about so much, Mötley Crüe. He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him. It’s called elder abuse.”

Variety reached out to Mars’ attorney Edwin F. McPherson for comment on Kovac’s numerous statements. McPherson said of the lawsuit, “This is all Mick. He is tired of being bullied. This is nobody driving the train here but Mick.”

Motley Crue: Their 5 Best Videos

• Honorable Mention: 'Too Young To Fall In Love'

  This is one of the campiest videos of all time, and we don’t talk about it enough. Make no mistake: This video isn’t good at all. Its plot makes no sense, but once you watch it, your brain screams, “Play it again! Let’s figure this out!” Great song, though.

• 5. 'Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)'

  When most people think of Motley Crue, there’s a certain “look” that comes to mind. They often think about the band’s full glam attire, hair, etc. No one thinks of the denim and black, Sunset Blvd meets Seattle image they’re rocking in the video for “Don’t Go Away Mad.” The video follows the narrative of the song, but the band themselves just look so different that it makes the video instantly memorable.

• 4. 'Girls, Girls, Girls'

  Obviously, a song about strippers and strip clubs should feature strippers and strip clubs. No need to make things complicated here, which is what makes “Girls, Girls, Girls” a classic video. Oh, and there’s an uncensored version of this video that we’ll let you Google yourself if you want to see actual boobs and the Crue.

• 3. 'If I Die Tomorrow'

  There’s no sugar-coating it here; this video is heavy. Set in an art gallery, various canvases come to life depicting significant dark moments in the lives of each Crue member. For Vince Neil, it’s the infamous 1984 drunk-driving crash that killed Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley. Mick Mars’ canvas shows him struggling with his chronic spinal disease, ankylosing spondylitis. For Tommy Lee, it was serving six months in jail after assaulting his then-wife Pamala Anderson. Nikki Sixx’s canvas, of course, featured his 1987 overdose when he was revived via two syringes of adrenaline.

• 2. 'Looks That Kill'

  Let’s lighten the mood a little bit, shall we? Is the “Looks That Kill” video campy like the aforementioned video for “Too Young to Fall In Love”? Yes, but you can at least follow the plot! Plus, that look into the camera from Nikki Sixx during the first chorus is truly iconic. It’s the type of breakthrough video that most bands at the height of MTV’s powers only dreamed of. 10/10, no notes.

• 1. 'Home Sweet Home'

  Motley Crue has a number of performance-based videos, as did many rock bands in the ’80s, but there’s just something truly magical about “Home Sweet Home.” It’s the perfect snapshot that captures the Crue’s concert dominance: A big, energetic show, wild fans and a sinful amount of fun. One watch makes it obvious why the video was in such heavy rotation on MTV.

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Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

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• Dave and Chuck the Freak
• Music

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Motley Crue