More than a year after he threw a punch at guitarist Dave Navarro, Perry Farrell has apologised for his behavior during a reunited Jane’s Addiction performance in Boston.
The explosive altercation, which took place in September 2024, gave way to dueling lawsuits between Farrell and former bandmates Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins. But now, Farrell is speaking out on the situation, posting an apology to social media that addresses the people of Boston and beyond.
“I’d like to address what happened on stage last year,” wrote Farrell on Instagram in a joint post with Jane’s Addiction. “I’ve reflected on it and know I didn’t handle myself the way I should have. I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show.
“Jane’s Addiction has been at the center of my life for decades,” he continued. “The band, the songs, the patrons and the impact that we’ve had on music and culture mean more to me than any words I could ever possibly write down. My aim has always been to give our audience the best possible show, something real, honest and positive. In Boston, we fell short of that, and I’m truly sorry to everyone who was impacted. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued love and support.”
Just a few days after the fight, Jane’s Addiction canceled the remainder of their reunion tour, which was the group’s first in 14 years with the original lineup. Navarro made a statement on behalf of himself and the two other band members, laying the blame at Farrell’s feet and stating that the tour’s discontinuation was due to a “continuing pattern of behavior and [his] mental health difficulties.” Farrell responded with his own apology to his bandmates for his “inexcusable behavior,” stating that he had reached a “breaking point.” Not long after, his wife Etty Lau Farrell revealed on social media that Farrell was seeking medical treatment.
Tensions simmered until this past July, when Jane’s Addiction filed a bombshell suit against Farrell for $10 million, claiming that the group lost that amount due to the tour’s cancellation and the suspension of band activities. Navarro sued Farrell for assault and battery, accusing him of intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract.
Just hours after they sued him, Farrell countered with his own lawsuit against the trio, stating that his former band members orchestrated a years-long campaign of bullying and harassment intended to undermine him. He said that Navarro had assaulted him and his wife backstage, and that he was given no say in cancelling the tour and “would not have agreed to do so due to the financial and reputational consequences.”
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From Variety US