Two Crüemembers Settle Up

Thu., Mar. 20, 2008 7:46 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars don't want to go away mad.

Mötley Crüe's bassist and guitarist have tentatively settled a lawsuit against a former comanager of their band who they accused of becoming so wrapped up in Tommy Lee's career that he forgot what was good for the foursome.

Sixx, Mars and the corporations Mötley Crüe Inc. and Red, White & Crüe Inc. (not including frontman Vince Neil, however), sued Carl Stubner, who still represents Lee, for more than $20 million in June, alleging breach of fiduciary duties and constructive fraud.

They claimed Stubner damaged Lee's heavy-metal rep by signing him up for Rock Star: Supernova and Tommy Lee Goes to College and then loading the drummer's schedule with commitments that took him away from rehearsals, recording and touring.

In their complaint, the plaintiffs said that their ex-manager demanded a bump in commissions, or else he would make sure Lee was unavailable for the 2006 dates on their Red, White and Crüe tour.

According to a two-page settlement agreement, a request for dismissal will be filed by May 31 based on the successful completion of the undisclosed terms arrived at by the warring parties. A hearing scheduled for Friday has been canceled.

A judge had ordered Sixx and Mars to amend their complaint with more evidence of wrongdoing before the lawsuit could go further.

Stubner's attorney, Larry R. Feldman, argued in December that Lee made his own decisions and was the only one in the position to sue his client, if in fact he disagreed with Stubner's business practices.

Although things seem to be back on track now, Lee released a statement last fall expressing doubt whether he could remain a member of Mötley Crüe because of the inner turmoil.

"It troubles me that the current legal issues which were filed by the corporations against my personal manager are separating us and causing more dysfunction. I hope we can work this out amongst ourselves," the tattooed rocker said.

Apparently they did, because the band has reportedly set a July 8 release date for its ninth studio album, The Dirt, now that this mess seems to be behind them.

And, according to Sixx, things are going rather well in studio.

"I f--king love this new Motley Crue album," he wrote Sunday in his website's online diary, with his note posted in all caps. "Tommys [sic] kickin ass, Vince sounds insane and Mars is shredding on guitars. It doesn't feel like one song is better or worse than any other...It feels so good to be excited about something youve worked on so hard...Im so excited for you all to hear it."