MÖTLEY CRÜE's Attorney Says STUBNER Was Paid $1 Million For Management Services

Skip Miller of Miller Barondess LLP, Los Angeles, attorney for the rock band MÖTLEY CRÜE, has issued the following statement in regard to the lawsuit filed by the band against one of its managers, Carl Stubner, and companies he is associated with:

"For Mr. Stubner to assert, as he now does in response to this lawsuit, that neither he nor his companies have ever participated in the management of MÖTLEY CRÜE is simply absurd. Mr. Stubner took part in numerous meetings and conference calls regarding the management of MÖTLEY CRÜE. In fact, Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary Artist Management have been paid nearly $1 million in commissions from the band for their management services. Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary are now going to have to explain their actions, and the receipt of all these commissions, to a judge and jury."

In the lawsuit, filed Monday (June 18) in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the four founding members of the band (Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee) through Motley Crue Inc., claim Stubner forced Tommy Lee to "to become engaged in 'reality' projects that were bad career moves for Lee, harming [Sixx, Mars, Neil and Lee], the MÖTLEY CRÜE brand and Lee's own image." According to TMZ.com, the suit calls the low-rated NBC show "Tommy Lee Goes to College" a "critical disappointment and a ratings disaster," adding it painted Lee as "incoherent, lazy and incompetent" and made him "look like a laughing stock who could not carry a drum beat." The suit also claims Lee's participation on "Rock Star: Supernova" "diminished the public's interest in Lee and their overall perception of his musical talents."

Because Lee was so busy doing reality TV, the band says he was unavailable to tour with the CRÜE, thus causing the cancellation of several key concert dates. The band claims that they lost $8 million in ticket and merchandise revenue because of Lee's scheduling conflicts. The band claims these conflicts were "both real and concocted" by Stubner to "leverage his control over Lee to his financial advantage and to MÖTLEY CRÜE and Lee's detriment."

In response to the lawsuit, Stubner and Sanctuary issued the following statement:

"Neither Carl Stubner nor Sanctuary Artist Management Inc. (nor any other Sanctuary company) have ever managed MÖTLEY CRÜE or any members of MÖTLEY CRÜE other than Tommy Lee. Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary continue to manage Tommy Lee and make no apology for having effectively managed, promoted and furthered Tommy's career with great success. Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary will vociferously defend this lawsuit which is utterly and entirely without merit or basis."