Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain has lodged a countersuit in opposition to bandmate and guitarist Neal Schon for allegedly charging over $1 million in private bills to the band’s shared American Specific 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 limit[ing]” his entry to monetary paperwork related to the shared American Specific card. The cardboard account is linked to Nomota, the limited-liability company that Cain and Schon established in 1998 and during which they each have a 50% stake.
Nonetheless, in a countersuit filed final Friday in California and seen by UCR, Cain accused Schon of “misusing” the cardboard to “pay for his private bills,” alleging that the guitarist “had critical monetary issues on account of an extravagant life-style.”
The go well with claims that between Could 2021 and fall 2022, Schon “triggered over $1 million in private bills to be charged to the AMEX account.” Practically half of this got here from a one-month interval during which Schon allegedly spent $400,000 on Chrome Hearts jewellery, objects from Bergdorf Goodman division retailer and private insurance coverage premiums, amongst different bills.
Moreover, the go well with lists Cain as the non-public guarantor of the shared American Specific card, making him personally responsible for the bills. At one level, the keyboardist requested the bank card firm impose a $30,000 spending restrict on Schon. Despite this restrict, Schon allegedly “nonetheless managed to spend tons of of hundreds of {dollars} in further, extreme private bills by way of different tour personnel and journey brokers,” together with lodge 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 invoice” in a press release to Billboard, chalking the countersuit as much as “bitter grapes” after Schon filed a cease-and-desist order final month in opposition to Cain demanding that the keyboardist cease taking part in Journey songs at rallies supporting former President Donald Trump.
Regardless of these authorized squabbles, Journey is ready to kick off their Fiftieth-anniversary tour subsequent Friday in Durant, Okla. Authentic 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 in opposition to Cain is scheduled for March 3.
