Ex-Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has claimed a partial victory in his ongoing legal fight against his former bandmates over his ouster from the group. Rolling Stone reports that a Los Angeles superior court judge ruled Tuesday that because the band’s members didn’t promptly send Mars corporate documents he’d requested regarding the dispute, the group must now pay the guitarist’s legal bills.
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According to Rolling Stone, Mars had asked the band to produce certain documents in April of 2023 as part of the legal battle, but Mötley Crüe didn’t respond until November, and then, they didn’t initially send all of the documents that were requested. The additional documents were finally produced in early December.
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The Judge’s Ruling
In his ruling, Judge John C. Chalfant noted, “These documents should have been produced without the need for prodding by Mars. [The] failure to produce the documents earlier than December 8 amounts to a refusal.”
The judge decided that because of the delay, Mars was justifiably compelled to file a lawsuit to obtain the documents, and that he was “entitled to attorney fees.”
However, the judge also ruled that Mars’ lawsuit was now “moot,” meaning that further documents for which he’s asking that weren’t included in his initial request won’t have to be produced by the band.
[RELATED: Mick Mars Details New Album, Releases First Solo Single Around Halloween]
Mars’ Lawyer Responds to the Ruling
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Mars’ lawyer, Ed McPherson, said the judge’s ruling was a victory for his client.
“Finally, somebody, somewhere told these guys they can’t bully Mick anymore,” McPherson stated. “We’re in the middle of a huge arbitration that will ultimately decide if Mick has to give up his shares or not, if they did things properly or not. Obviously we claim they didn’t do anything properly.”
Mötley Crüe’s Lawyer Also Claims Victory
In contrast, Sasha Frid, the head of Mötley Crüe’s legal team, said in a statement to Rolling Stone that the ruling was a win for the band.
“The case is over. That’s the key takeaway,” Frid maintained. “By denying the petition as moot and ending the case, the court found that the band turned over all the documents to Mars and there is nothing more to do.”
About Mars’ Main Lawsuit Against Mötley Crüe
Meanwhile, the main part of the lawsuit, whether Mars was illegally ousted from Mötley Crüe, is scheduled to be decided by arbitration later in 2024.
The band initially announced that Mars, who suffers from the painful inflammatory bone disease ankylosing spondylitis, was retiring from touring in October 2022. The 72-year-old guitarist had intended to continue participating in recordings, concerts, or residencies with Mötley Crüe that didn’t involve excessive travel.
Then, in April of 2023, Mars launched a lawsuit claiming that he was fired by the band and that they were preventing him from receiving due profits as a 25 percent stakeholder of Mötley Crüe.
Mars Comments on His Lawsuit
In a June 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Mars talked about his motivation for suing his former bandmates.
“When they wanted to get high and f— everything up, I covered for them,” he noted. “Now they’re trying to take my legacy away, my part of Mötley Crüe, my ownership of the name, the brand.”
He added, “How can you fire Mr. Heinz from Heinz ketchup? He owns it. Frank Sinatra’s or Jimi Hendrix’s legacy goes on forever, and their heirs continue to profit from it. They’re trying to take that away from me. I’m not going to let them.”
Upcoming Musical Plans for Mars, Mötley Crüe
Mars will be releasing his debut solo album, The Other Side of Mars, on February 23. Mötley Crüe, who replaced Mars with journeyman guitarist John 5, has plans to release some new tracks sometime this year. The band also has been lining a variety of tour dates.
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