Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain has lodged a countersuit towards bandmate and guitarist Neal Schon for allegedly charging over $1 million in private bills to the band’s shared American Express card, together with a one-month $400,000 buying spree.
Schon and Cain have been embroiled in a bitter, extremely publicized authorized battle over the previous a number of months, because the guitarist beforehand sued the keyboardist for “improperly restrict[ing]” his entry to monetary paperwork related to the shared American Express card. The card account is linked to Nomota, the limited-liability company that Cain and Schon established in 1998 and through which they each have a 50% stake.
However, in a countersuit filed final Friday in California and considered by UCR, Cain accused Schon of “misusing” the cardboard to “pay for his personal expenses,” alleging that the guitarist “had serious financial problems as a result of an extravagant lifestyle.”
The go well with claims that between May 2021 and fall 2022, Schon “caused over $1 million in personal expenses to be charged to the AMEX account.” Nearly half of this got here from a one-month interval through which Schon allegedly spent $400,000 on Chrome Hearts jewellery, objects from Bergdorf Goodman division retailer and private insurance coverage premiums, amongst different bills.
Additionally, the go well with lists Cain as the non-public guarantor of the shared American Express card, making him personally liable for the bills. At one level, the keyboardist requested the bank card firm impose a $30,000 spending restrict on Schon. In spite of this restrict, Schon allegedly “still managed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional, excessive personal expenses through other tour personnel and travel agents,” together with resort rooms exceeding $5,000 an evening.
Schon’s lawyer Skip Miller referred to as Cain’s current allegations “ridiculous” and “as phony as a three-dollar bill” in a press release to Billboard, chalking the countersuit up to “sour grapes” after Schon filed a cease-and-desist order final month towards Cain demanding that the keyboardist cease enjoying Journey songs at rallies supporting former President Donald Trump.
Despite these authorized squabbles, Journey is ready to kick off their Fiftieth-anniversary tour subsequent Friday in Durant, Okla. Original keyboardist Gregg Rolie was rumored to be collaborating within the trek, however Schon appeared to backtrack on these claims earlier this week. A preliminary listening to for Schon’s preliminary lawsuit towards Cain is scheduled for March 3.
Discussion about this post