Dave Navarro is suing his former Jane’s Addiction bandmate Perry Farrell for assault and battery following their on-stage altercation during a concert in September 2024. Additionally, Navarro, along with fellow Jane’s Addiction members Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins, are suing Perry for emotional distress, negligence, and breach of contract over the subsequent cancellation of the band’s tour following the incident. Navarro, Avery, and Perkins are seeking a minimum of $10 million in damages.

TMZ was the first to report news of the lawsuit.

UPDATE: Perry Farrell has sued Dave Navarro, Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins, citing assault, bullying, harassment, and breach of contract, among other allegations. Read more here.

During Jane’s Addiction concert at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion on September 13th, 2024, Farrell shoved and punched Navarro before being separated by Avery and the band’s crew. The band subsequently canceled the remainder of the tour — which had marked the first featuring its classic lineup in 14 years.

Related Video

According to the complaint filed by Navarro, Avery, and Perkins, the on-stage altercation was actually the culmination of erratic behavior Perry had exhibited throughout the tour. The frontman apparently nearly quit the tour ahead of the kickoff show in Las Vegas, after the rest of the band—who had previously agreed to operate democratically on all major decisions as a condition of their reunion—voted against allowing Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, to dance on stage.

As the tour progressed, Jane’s Addiction’s members allegedly observed that Perry “regularly appeared onstage in an advanced state of intoxication. He would often drink wine onstage and slur his speech. Perry frequently went on long, rambling discursions between songs for no apparent purpose other than for his own amusement. The problems with Perry’s performance would often worsen as the night wore on and he became more intoxicated.”

In the complaint, Navarro revealed that at the time of the incident, he was suffering from the effects of long COVID, and that Perry’s physical attack on stage in Boston came at a moment when he was “still weak.” The altercation allegedly continued backstage, with Navarro claiming that Farrell “threw another unexpected punch at him, striking him on the left side of the face.”

Following the September 13th incident, Farrell issued a public apology, saying he took “full accountability” for his actions. He also reportedly sought medical attention for vocal issues that plagued him on the tour.

Navarro, Avery, and Perkins decided to cancel the rest of the tour, as well as a planned reunion album in progress. As part of their suit, the trio is seeking to recover money lost from the tour’s cancelation and potential future earnings.

Update: Through his lawyers, Farrell has responded to the lawsuit filed by his former bandmates in Jane’s Addiction:

“This is yet another clear example of the group uniting to isolate and bully frontman Perry Farrell. The timing of this baseless lawsuit is no coincidence—it was filed only after they caught wind of legal action coming from our side. It’s a transparent attempt to control the narrative and present themselves as the so-called ‘good guys’—a move that’s both typical and predictable. Just like when they released a defamatory and entirely unfounded statement about Perry’s mental health and unilaterally canceled the remaining tour dates without his input, they’re once again scrambling to get ahead of the truth in a desperate effort to save face.”

In a recent interview with Guitar Player, Navarro reflected on what has now become Jane’s Addiction’s final concert, calling it “my least favorite gig that I have ever played.” He also ruled out any possibility of the band performing together again.