Perry Farrell Countersues Dave Navarro Amid Their Legal Drama

UPDATE — 7/16/25 at 6:55 p.m. ET: Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell is taking legal action of his own after Dave Navarro initially sued him following their September 2024 onstage fight.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Farrell is countersuing Navarro for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract.

“As a founding member and creative force behind Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell has always prioritized the band’s legacy and its supporters, which is why the events of September 13th, 2024 in Boston and the resulting fallout was so devastating,” Farrell’s lawyer said in a statement to Us. “Without warning or consultation and using Perry as a scapegoat, Dave Navarro and the other band members took it upon themselves to abruptly cancel the remaining tour dates—violating contracts and disregarding all professional obligations.”

The statement continued: “Perry was blindsided by not being allowed to vote and be heard, leaving him unable to plead his case to continue the tour for their fans. If that was not harmful enough, Dave Navarro then intentionally and publicly blamed Perry for the canceled tour dates effectively destroying Perry’s reputation and causing him irreparable harm. Despite this continued bullying perpetuated by Navarro, Perry’s dedication to Jane’s Addiction and the preservation of its positive impact on the music industry remains unshaken. He is actively exploring ways to address the situation and ensure accountability.”

Us has reached out to Navarro for comment.

Original story below:

Dave Navarro filed a lawsuit against his Jane’s Addiction bandmate Perry Farrell after the pair were involved in an onstage fight last year.

Navarro, 58, and fellow Jane’s Addiction members Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins accused Farrell, 66, of assault and battery in court documents filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16. (TMZ was the first to report the news.)

The band’s reunion tour came to an abrupt end last year after Farrell shoved Navarro mid-performance during a September concert in Boston. Per social media footage, Navarro initially tried to push him back, but Farrell then appeared to elbow the guitarist. Multiple security officials swarmed the stage and were heard trying to get Farrell to stop before he was escorted backstage.

In the lawsuit, Navarro and his bandmates claim that Farrell “continued his unhinged barrage of punches backstage” after the concert ended. “The Attack, which was virally viewed by millions of people worldwide, was brutal and unprovoked,” the filing continues. “It quickly forced the termination of the show and eventually the entire Tour.”

According to the other Jane’s Addiction members, Farrell pushed them to reunite for the tour — their first with all four original members since 2010 — but then “struggled night to night amid public concern for his well-being and apparent intoxication.”

“Perry forgot lyrics, lost his place in songs he had sung since the 1980s and mumbled rants as he drank from a wine bottle onstage,” the suit alleges. “Everyone’s performances were lauded, except Perry’s which were widely panned in the music press.”

Navarro, Avery and Perkins — who also accused Farrell of intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract — are requesting a trial by jury and a minimum of $10 million in damages.

After the fight last year, Farrell publicly apologized to his bandmates and fans, telling Variety in a statement, “This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show. Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation.”

His wife, Etty Lau, claimed that her husband had made appointments with a neurologist and an otolaryngologist after the incident.

“We are taking a bit of time to ourselves, to reflect and to heal,” Lau, 50, wrote in a September 2024 Instagram statement. “Make no mistake, when he’s ready he will take another giant leap over obstacles to make us laugh, think, while changing the world together. We can rejoice together then. And you will know, we would not have been able to do it without you.”

In the lawsuit, Navarro and his bandmates allege that Farrell and Lau “falsely and publicly blamed Plaintiffs and the acoustics onstage in an effort to justify Defendant’s onstage assault and divert attention from and trivialize Defendant’s well-documented meltdown.”

Farrell called the lawsuit “baseless” in a statement shared by his lawyers.

“This is yet another clear example of the group uniting to isolate and bully frontman Perry Farrell,” his attorneys told Us Weekly on Wednesday. “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.”