Mötley Crüe Prevails in Arbitration Against Founding Guitarist Mick Mars
Mötley Crüe has prevailed in its legal dispute with founding guitarist Mick Mars, after a retired judge ruled in favor of the band in a binding arbitration stemming from Mars’ departure during the group’s 2022 stadium tour.
In a final arbitration award filed in Los Angeles and disclosed Thursday, the arbitrator determined that band members Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, and Vince Neil acted within their contractual rights when they removed Mars as an officer and director of Mötley Crüe Inc. after he withdrew from touring due to complications from ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic degenerative disease affecting his spine.
Mars, now 74, has consistently maintained that while he could no longer endure extended tours, he never retired from the band and remained willing to participate in studio work, limited performances, or residencies. He argued that the band improperly terminated him and cut off his financial participation, prompting a legal battle that ultimately proceeded to arbitration rather than court.
The arbitrator rejected Mars’ claims and ruled that he must repay $750,030 from a prior advance after missing 69 scheduled live performances. The ruling also ordered Mars to sell his ownership interest in the band to the remaining members for $505,737. After accounting for that sale, the arbitrator awarded the band a net recovery of $244,293.
“This dispute was about enforcing the agreements that govern the band and protecting its long-term viability,” said Sasha Frid, lead counsel for Mötley Crüe, in a statement. “The arbitrator rejected every claim brought by Mr. Mars and upheld the band’s actions in full.”
Mars’ attorney, Ed McPherson, criticized the outcome and indicated his client is considering whether to challenge the decision. “The ruling is deeply unfair,” McPherson said. “When Mick informed the band that his medical condition prevented him from touring but not from contributing creatively, the response was effectively to remove him entirely and stop paying him. The arbitrator agreed with that position, and we strongly disagree.”
Mars has previously stated that he played a central role in forming the band, selecting its lineup, and naming Mötley Crüe. In filings, he noted that while other members temporarily departed the group in earlier decades, they retained their ownership interests and later returned. The band countered that those arrangements were governed by separate agreements and circumstances.
The dispute also revived public disagreements over the band’s 2022 reunion tour, during which Mars accused his bandmates of relying heavily on pre-recorded tracks. The band denied those claims. In the arbitration proceedings, according to the band’s legal team, Mars recanted those allegations under oath, and expert testimony supported the conclusion that the group performed live.
In a statement accompanying the arbitration award, the band’s attorneys said Mars acknowledged that his earlier public statements regarding the tour’s authenticity were inaccurate.
Mars exited Mötley Crüe in 2022 after more than four decades with the group. While the ruling brings the arbitration to a close, his counsel said the guitarist has not yet decided whether to pursue further legal remedies.
