These Musicians Were Sued By Their Own Fans
Our favorite musicians are usually pretty well off financially and that can open them up to some pretty hefty lawsuits. While some of these lawsuits were deserved, others were downright trivial. From a broken neck at a Steve Aoki show, to PTSD following a Jonas Bros. concert, stick around to find out why fans sued these famous musicians. You won't believe who took Jon Bon Jovi to court for $400 billion.
The All-American Rejects Monster Incident
At the Vans Warped Tour in 2010, the frontman of The All-American Rejects Tyson Ritter was throwing Monster energy drinks into the crowd during the band's performance. Concert-goer Nina Kooroshfar was hit in the head by one of the flying beverages, which landed her in the E.R. with 12 stitches. Ouch!
Despite being given backstage passes from the band, Kooroshfar took legal action against Ritter, Monster Beverage Co., and Live Nation, asking for unspecified general and punitive damages for negligence and assault, and battery.
Skrillex's Harmful Stage Dive
EDM godfather Skrillex was getting wild as per usual at one of his shows at The Belasco in Downtown L.A. in February 2012. In the heat of the moment, he stage-dived into the crowd and unfortunately landed on top of concert-goer Jennifer Fraissl.
Fraissl claimed she was unable to protect herself or get out of the way when he jumped which resulted in several injuries and later a stroke resulting from the trauma. She attempted to sue Skrillex for his behavior, as well as the nightclub for allowing it to happen. She was asking for unspecified damages, medical expenses, loss of income, and more.
Justin Beiber's Earth-Shattering Voice
In 2010, Stacey Wilson Betts took her daughter to a Justin Beiber concert in Portland Oregon. Two years after the concert in 2012, she attempted to sue Beiber for $9.2 million after claiming that she suffered severe hearing damage because the sounds exceeded safe decibel levels.
During the show, Beiber hovered above his fans in a heart-shaped gondola. According to Betts, this resulted in the Beliebers screaming even louder than normal, which caused sound waves to bounce off the gondola, creating a "sound blast." Betts claimed to have hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis, but all of these were deemed acute in both ears. Betts asked for the case to be dismissed in 2013 because she couldn't afford to hire legal representation.
Don't Take a Picture With Lil Wayne
When Alfred Marino spotted Lil Wayne and his crew skateboarding, he excitedly asked for a picture. When the rapper told him “no,” Marino walked back to this car and tried to snap a quick photo. Lil Wayne was not on board and approached Marino with some threatening words. Before you know it, someone hit Marino over the head with a skateboard.
Following the incident, Marino sued Lil Wayne claiming he suffered a concussion and vertigo. Although the rapper has been mum about the alleged attacks, this isn’t the first time Weezy has been accused of assault.
Jonas Brothers Concerts Are Too Rowdy
In 2013, a Los Angeles woman filed a lawsuit against the Jonas Brothers, claiming that she was injured at a concert at The Grove in Los Angeles three years before. Ashleigh Johnson says that she was "agonizingly crushed" into a guard fence during a mosh pit, which left her with serious emotional and physical injuries.
Johnson asked for unspecified damages from the band and Caruso Management Co., who runs The Grove shopping mall. She argued that there should have been better security and a safer environment. The Jonas Brothers never publicly commented on the suit, but we're still wondering how there could ever possibly be a real live mosh pit at one of their shows.
Hey, I Wrote That Song!
In 2008, Jon Bon Jovi fell victim to an angry small-time songwriter. Samuel Bartley Steele claimed that Bon Jovi stole the lyrics and chorus to Steele's song "(Man I Really) Love This Team" and used them for his own hit "I Love This Town."
Steele sued Bon Jovi for a whopping $400 billion (more than the music industry is worth, by the way), even though Bon Jovi had more than likely never heard of Steele or the song he wrote. Steele thinks that Bon Jovi somehow received a copy of his song or heard them playing sometime in Boston. Bon Jovi and his management called his bluff.
A $5,000 Mic Drop
During a Guns N' Roses finale in Australia, concert attendee Darren Wright received a face full of mic' when frontman Axl Rose threw his microphone into the crowd as he was leaving the stage. Wright ended up losing two of his teeth and sued Rose.
Wright stated that "At the very least I want someone to pay to get my teeth fixed," which cost an estimated $5,000. Of course, in his rockstar manner, Rose offered Wright the mic as a memento as if it was going to pay to have his teeth fixed.
Miguel Cuts Loose
In 2013, R&B singer Miguel leaped from the stage at the Billboard Music Awards and landed on a group of people. However, one of the women he landed on, Cindy Tsai announced she was suing Miguel as well as the MGM Grand.
Tsai claimed that Miguel landed on her neck and caused her severe injuries, so she sued for medical bills as well as lost wages. Although she seemed fine after being treated with an icepack in the medical tent at the venue, apparently it took her two years to figure out something was wrong.
Sum 41's Weiner Debaucle
Back in 2002, during a local minor league baseball game, audience member Michael Sudore was hit by a thrown hot dog by the band members of Sum 41. The act was secretly taped and they included it without his permission in the DVD that followed their 2002 album, Does This Look Infected?
Sudore went on to file a suit, seeking damages up to $6 million plus attorneys fees from the band, as well as many of the band's associates. According to Sudore's lawyer, his client experienced psychological trauma and adverse effects in his business for his inadvertent association with the punk band.
KISS Tugs On More Than Heartstrings
In May 2016, iconic rock and roll band KISS was performing in Grand Rapids, Michigan where 27-year-old Carly Miller happened to be in attendance. During the concert's encore with the song "Rock and Roll All Night," guitarist Paul Stanley smashed his guitar and threw it into the crowd.
It was all fun and games until Miller's fingers somehow became entwined in the strings and she was then dragged across two rows of chairs during the frenzy. Due to her injuries and medical bills, she filed a lawsuit against the band, yet their insurance companies said the fire-breathing rockers were not at fault.
The $75,000 Kick By Rod Stewart
On November 13, 1990, Michigan resident Patricia Boughton was allegedly injured while attending a Rod Stewart concert. She claimed she was left permanently disfigured when Steward kicked a soccer ball into the crowd (one of his traditions) which hit the middle finger of her hand.
Broughton's husband added a claim of "loss of companionship" because it was now difficult for the couple to get...frisky. The couple ended up divorcing and settled for $17,000 in damages instead of the original $75,000 they were seeking. Rod Stewart brushed it off and continued kicking balls into the crowd as part of his long-standing tradition.
From The Top Ropes!
Going to a Steve Aoki show with his cake-throwing and body-surfing antics is always risky business. Most people usually come out unharmed and maybe a little messy, but not Brittany Hickman.
While attending a concert in San Diego, Aoki threw an inflatable raft into the crowd and jumped onto it from 20 feet above, simultaneously knocking her unconscious. As it turns out, Aoki's jump had broken Hickman's neck, an injury she discovered back in her home state of Arizona. Hickman went on to sue Steve Aoki as well as the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego and reached a confidential settlement. That is not the first time he had injured an audience member with his concert antics.
Chris Brown's Most Petty Fan
Chris Brown concertgoer Marq Stevenson sued the singer due to an alleged bullying incident. Apparently, after the concert, Stevenson was in a physical altercation with the singer's entourage when he tried to get his hat signed by him.
Stevenson said that he handed his hat to a crew member who then never returned it back to him. He considered that stolen property and sued Brown for $2,500 for the bullying, $250 for the cost of his floor seat concert ticket, and of course, $25 for his stolen hat.
Don't Mess With Snoop Dogg or His Crew
In 2005, 25-year-old Richard Monroe II from Kent, Washington claimed that he was "ruthlessly dragged, kicked, punched, and otherwise severely beaten" by a group of men including Snoop Dogg's bodyguards after running onstage at the White River Amphitheater in May.
Monroe II filed a civil lawsuit against Snoop, The Game, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, and Soopafly seeking $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages for assault, battery, negligence, and intentional confliction for emotional distress. He also claimed he was invited on stage before the beatings ensued. There is video evidence available and although Monroe was clearly assaulted, it's a long shot for his case.
Jennifer Lopez's Desperate Admirer
In 2014, Jennifer Lopez was involved in a lawsuit surrounding aspiring singer Rodrigo Ruiz claiming that she tricked him into sending her pictures of his you-know-what. He said that Lopez promised to help him with his music career if he sent her his demo CDs as well as nude pictures of himself.
Ruiz asked for $10,000 in damages and filed a police report claiming that he was a victim of sexual harassment. Of course, as it turns out, none of this was true, and Ruiz's claims were all a desperate attempt at stardom. In reality, he had never communicated with Lopez.
The Black Crowes Turn It Up To 11
At a Black Crowes concert in 1999, teenager Joshua Harmon was rocking out in the second row from the stage. However, it turns out that he might have been a little too close for his own good since he ended up injuring his eardrums.
The case was made by Harden's parents when they filed a lawsuit against the band a year later when they claimed that their son developed tinnitus due to his experience at the concert. The Harmon family sought $385,000 in damages from the band, the promoter, and the venue.
