Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell fires back after Dave Navarro sued him over violent onstage attack

The singer claimed he was blindsided by the other members' decision to cancel the remaining 15 shows of the tour and break up following the 2024 incident.

Farrell claimed Navarro, Avery and Perkins are to blame for the escalating tensions and violence that erupted during the band's tour.

"Navarro, Avery and Perkins apparently decided," the lawsuit stated, "that Jane's Addiction's decades of success should be jettisoned in pursuit of a yearslong bullying campaign against Farrell involving harassing him onstage during performances, including, among other tactics, trying to undermine him by playing their instruments at a high volume so that he could not hear himself sing."

Farrell alleged that Navarro and Avery actually assaulted him, turning the stage into a toxic environment, and said the situation went from hostile to defamatory when the other members of the band publicly accused him of struggling with mental health issues in the aftermath of the altercation.

Meanwhile, Navarro sued Farrell for assault and battery following an incident that took place mid-concert during a stop on the band's reunion tour last September. 

In court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Navarro, Avery and Perkins accused Farrell of assaulting Navarro both on stage and backstage on Sept. 13, 2024. They stated that they suffered financial losses after the incident led to the cancellation of the tour and their planned album. 

According to the documents, they claimed that they "were forced to bring this action" after Farrell "ruthlessly assaulted Navarro onstage, mid-show, during the Jane's Addiction 33-date North American reunion tour."

"As if the pain and humiliation of the onstage attack were not enough, Farrell continued his unhinged barrage of punches backstage (collectively, the 'Attack')," the lawsuit continued. "The Attack, which was virally viewed by millions of people worldwide, was brutal and unprovoked. It quickly forced the termination of the show and eventually the entire Tour."

During the Sept. 13 concert, videos taken by fans showed Farrell approaching Navarro, seemingly upset. He shoved Navarro with his shoulder, then advanced on him. Navarro held him back with a forearm to his chest, but Farrell threw a punch before one of the band's techs intervened.

The incident marked a "terminal inflection point" for Jane's Addiction, the documents continued, which was formed by Perry, Navarro, Avery and Perkins in 1985. 

Per the lawsuit, Farrell issued a statement in a since-deleted Instagram post on the day of the tour's cancellation.

"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," he wrote, according to the documents. 

At the time, Farrell shared a matching statement with Fox News Digital. 

"It is now impossible, as a result of the conduct by Defendant set forth above (and through no fault of Plaintiffs), for the Band to complete a 12-track album," the documents read. 

In addition to assault and battery, Navarro joined Avery and Perkins in suing Farrell for intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and indemnity and contribution. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Navarro's attorney, Christopher Frost, said, "In 2024 the four 'original' members of Jane's Addiction came together, against all odds, with a new tour and new music. Persuaded by Perry Farrell to revive the legendary configuration of the band, Dave Navarro, Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins had high hopes that they could capture the pure spirit of the band's early days and build on it.

"Initially they did, in the studio and onstage," Frost continued. "But, as our lawsuit explains, they did so with a fourth bandmate who was by turns unwilling or unable to perform to a reasonable standard and who repeatedly threatened to derail the tour.

"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," the statement continued.  "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."