Mötley Crüe Settles Long-Standing Legal Dispute with Former Guitarist Mick Mars

Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee; Mick Mars.
Credit:

Ian Gavan/Getty; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

NEED TO KNOW

• Mick Mars sued Mötley Crüe in 2023, claiming the band attempted to remove him.
• A recent arbitration concluded that the band was not at fault and ordered Mars to pay $244,000 to Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, and Tommy Lee.
• “The band has been fully vindicated—legally, financially, and factually,” stated Mötley Crüe’s attorney.

In a significant legal decision, Mötley Crüe has triumphed in its ongoing lawsuit with former guitarist Mick Mars. On January 29, an arbitration tribunal ruled that the bandmates—Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, and Tommy Lee—were justified in removing Mars from his position as an officer and director in the band’s business affairs.

This decision follows Mars’s withdrawal from a planned U.S. stadium tour in September 2022, attributed to his long-standing battle with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic spinal condition. Mars, now 74, has dealt with this illness since being diagnosed at 27.

Retired federal judge Patrick J. Walsh, who oversaw the arbitration, affirmed that the band’s actions were within their rights. “Mars argues that it is immoral for him to be cast aside after forming the backbone of this group for more than four decades merely because his age and AS symptoms precluded him from performing. While I am not unsympathetic to this argument, it is not within my role in this arbitration to assess the morality of the band’s decision,” Walsh noted.

Additionally, the arbitration determined that Mars owed the band $750,030 for advance money due to missing 69 shows. In contrast, his former bandmates owe him over $505,737 for his equity stake in the group, resulting in a net obligation of $244,000 from Mars to the band.

Mick Mars, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, and Nikki Sixx in Detroit, Michigan in September 1985.

Ross Marino/Getty

The band’s attorney, Sasha Frid, emphasized the importance of this ruling, stating, “This dispute was about protecting the integrity and legacy of one of the most successful bands in rock history. With the arbitrator rejecting every claim and enforcing the parties’ agreements as written, the band has been fully vindicated—legally, financially, and factually.”

In contrast, Mars’ attorney, Ed McPherson, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the outcome, describing it as “awful.” He criticized the treatment Mars received from the band, remarking, “When Mick said I can’t tour anymore because of a hideous disease, but I can still write, perform one-offs or residencies, and record, they said, ‘Sorry Mick. It’s been 43 years, but you’re out. Goodbye, and we don’t want to pay you anymore.’”

McPherson indicated that the team is considering whether to challenge the decision, revealing, “It’s ridiculous. It’s just a question of whether he wants to keep pursuing this. Basically, he’s over Mötley Crüe.”

Mick Mars in Los Angeles in December 2019.

Emma McIntyre/Getty

Amid these developments, Mars had previously accused his bandmates of relying on pre-recorded tracks during their 2022 tour, claiming, “Nikki’s bass was 100% recorded.” Sixx later refuted this claim, stating the tracks were used to compensate for Mars’ guitar playing.

The band noted that during arbitration, Mars acknowledged under oath that some of his earlier statements were inaccurate, thus formally recanting his claims. “His expert confirmed that the band performed live,” the band’s legal team stated.

Representatives for Mötley Crüe and Mars have been approached for further comment on the arbitration outcome.