In a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine, Mötley Crüe's bassist Nikki Sixx opened up about the decision to bring in guitarist John 5 as Mick Mars's replacement, following Mars's departure from touring. Mars, who has battled Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a chronic condition that primarily affects the spine and pelvis, informed the band in 2022 that he could no longer tour. Despite his retirement from the road, Mars expressed his willingness to continue recording or performing at less physically demanding events, such as residencies.
According to Sixx: "It was becoming harder and harder and harder to get anything done with Mick because of his memory problems and just his physical ailments. And we have a lot of empathy for that."
The band faced a tough decision, and Sixx stands by their choice to continue with John 5. "When Mick left the band, we had to make a choice. And we made the right choice with John. We wish Mick nothing but the best," Sixx emphasized, reflecting on the challenges of moving forward without the iconic guitarist.
Sixx echoed those claims again in another interview with Guitar World, saying that Mötley Crüe was forced to fire Mars. "Listen, we were forced. Guy's gotta choose: you want to break up? Do you want to fuck over [tour promoter] Live Nation? You want to screw [tourmates] Def Leppard? All those tickets, all that planning that we'd done because one of your bandmembers is too ill to perform live?"
He continued: "We really had to think about it, bro. Like, do you think we wanted to take the grief we took, and end up in a lawsuit? But what were we supposed to do? Go home and fucking mow the lawn? It's like your fucking football team; if one of your guys can't play anymore, they bring in another guy."
Fans weren't all on board with the change, and Sixx addressed the criticism: "I run this band with an iron fist and nobody can get in and fuck with our band, legally, marketing-wise." He elaborated that the band had to make "a self-sufficient decision" to carry on without Mars, even though it was "the right thing to do." Sixx added, "But doing the right thing isn't always fucking fun," noting that some fans have misunderstood their actions.
In April 2023, Mars took legal action against Mötley Crüe, accusing the band of trying to reduce his stake in their business – basically removing him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting – after his announcement. He alleged that when he refused to sign papers that would cut his touring royalties to just 5%, the band pursued arbitration, aiming to avoid public scrutiny of their treatment of their "brother" of 41 years.
In January, Mars secured a significant victory when a judge ruled that Mötley Crüe had withheld key financial and business information from him, which had implications on his involvement and earnings.
