Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has filed a lawsuit against his bandmates, accusing them of financially exploiting him after he announced his retirement from touring due to a debilitating medical condition. Mars, whose real name is Robert Alan Deal, suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the spine. Despite his departure from full-scale touring, Mars made it clear that he was still willing to record music and participate in limited performances.
The lawsuit, filed on April 6 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims that Mötley Crüe reduced Mars’s share of the band’s profits from 25% to 5% after his announcement. Mars alleges that his bandmates held an emergency shareholders’ meeting to remove him from the band and strip him of his shares in their business entity. His lawsuit also accuses bassist Nikki Sixx of “gaslighting” him by criticizing his guitar skills during their U.S. tour while Sixx himself, Mars claims, didn’t play a single live note and relied on pre-recorded tracks.
According to the lawsuit, Sixx falsely claimed that Mars suffered from cognitive issues and repeatedly played wrong chords. However, Mars contends that his in-ear monitors malfunctioned, which caused him difficulty in hearing his instrument, but he was playing live. He also claims that portions of the performances by other members, including drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist Vince Neil, were pre-recorded.
Mars further accuses Sixx of making unilateral decisions for the band and pushing through documents without consulting the other members. He states that despite performing through immense pain, his bandmates were plotting to oust him. The lawsuit asserts that the band filed an arbitration case in February in an attempt to legally justify Mars’s removal, while keeping their actions out of the public eye.
In response to the lawsuit, Mars seeks a full review of the band’s financial records to ensure he receives what he believes he is owed after more than four decades with Mötley Crüe. The filing also highlights the personal toll his medical condition has taken, as his spine has progressively seized up, causing significant physical limitations.
Mars’s departure from the band was discussed publicly in March by drummer Carmine Appice, who claimed that Mars was frustrated with the use of pre-recorded tracks during live performances and had differences with his bandmates, leading him to retire from touring. In response, Sixx took to social media to refute Appice’s comments, calling them baseless and accusing the media of spreading misinformation.
Mars’s lawsuit sheds light on the internal tensions within the band and his long-standing battle with ankylosing spondylitis, which has impacted both his health and his role in Mötley Crüe.