Taking Again Sunday‘s Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, and Shaun Cooper, alongside the band’s supervisor, Jillian Newman, have allegedly been named in a defamation lawsuit filed by ex-drummer, Mark O’Connell, who departed the band earlier this year.
The reported court docket doc was posted to the r/Emo subreddit by a user who then uploaded it in its entirety to Dropbox. You possibly can entry the hyperlink beneath.
Based on the doc posted by the person – filed in New York state in late Might of this yr, the doc alleges that false and malicious statements have been made by Lazzara, Nolan, and Cooper that prevented O’Connell from not solely becoming a member of Taking Again Sunday once more after a quick stint in rehab, but in addition from receiving different job alternatives inside the trade.
This comes after an alleged sample of behaviour from Taking Again Sunday who, in line with the lawsuit, additionally behaved equally throughout the departure of the band’s founding guitarist, Eddie Reyes, again in 2018. It says that Reyes was advised collectively by Lazzara, Nolan, and Cooper (LNC) that Reyes wanted to enter rehab earlier than re-entering the band, and even when Reyes had accomplished his keep, LNC ignored this and advised him he was now not welcome in Taking Again Sunday.
Based on the court docket doc, in Might of 2024, the identical occurred to Mark O’Connell when LNC didn’t enable O’Connell to affix the band on the summer time portion of the tour. Allegedly, LNC falsely claimed that O’Connell was combating medicine and alcohol and affected by schizophrenia, and required him to enter rehab earlier than becoming a member of Taking Back Sunday on their summer leg. And even regardless of the false nature of those claims – O’Connell says was a yr sober at this level – he started usually taking breathalyzer and drug assessments 3 times a day to show he was sober. He submitted these to the band with no obvious response. O’Connell is adamant he doesn’t have schizophrenia and refused to be handled for it, which LNC, in line with the lawsuit, LNC reportedly took difficulty with.
Regardless of having the ability to show his sobriety and his mind-set, the band supposedly additional ignored his makes an attempt to achieve out and rejoin Taking Again Sunday, and as an alternative advised him they wished him to be handled even additional for schizophrenia, to which O’Connell denied to enter an pointless program. Lazzara, Nolan, and Cooper then allegedly advised O’Connell they wished to half methods with him, in opposition to his needs.
Based on the doc, Cooper, Nolan, Lazzara, and Newman (the band’s supervisor) then organize a ‘smear marketing campaign’ wherein the band tells ten totally different folks numerous allegations in opposition to O’Connell saying that he was “abusing medicine, “delusional,” “a risk to himself and others,” “a deadbeat dad,” “suicidal,” “hooked on medicine,” “having a psychological breakdown,” “a legal responsibility to have on tour,” “a drug addict,” and “schizophrenic.” O’Connell is submitting his defamation case on these statements made to outsiders, two of which have been O’Connell‘s father himself and his ex-wife’s divorce lawyer, who used these claims of their divorce and custody hearings, impacting the custody he has of his youngster and harming his potential to usually see his kids.
O’Connell additionally claims to have misplaced out on two separate enterprise alternatives due to the slanderous statements, and that LNC have been conscious that what they have been saying was certainly false.
And due to all of those alleged acts, the lawsuit entails:
- Depend One –Defamation (in opposition to all named defendants),
- Depend Two – Breach of Contract (Taking Again Sunday members solely),
- Depend Three – Breach of Fiduciary Obligation (Taking Again Sunday members solely),
- Depend 4 – Tortious Interference with Potential Financial Benefit (all defendants listed),
- Depend 5 – Accounting (Taking Again Sunday Members Solely).
The court docket doc stories that damages are to be decided at trial, however should consider “basic, particular, consequential, precise, punitive damages, and curiosity.” The decision of this case could be that Lazzara, Nolan, Cooper, and Newman – or any events even associated to them – could not talk about, or slander, Mark O’Connell any additional, in addition to retract all statements publicly.
The second a part of this lawsuit focuses on supposed cash not paid by Taking Again Sunday to Mark O’Connell for touring executed in 2024 earlier than the summer time leg, and a part of the decision for this case could be to entry Taking Again Sunday‘s monetary data to confirm what O’Connell is allegedly owed, whereas additionally paying for O’Connell’s lawyer charges and prices, along with another compensation the court docket sees match.
The lawsuit was filed by Mark O’Connell and his lawyer, David Fish. David Fish is an lawyer with a specialty in leisure regulation out of New York Metropolis. His identification was verified in an effort to assist confirm the validity of the court docket paperwork, which you’ll be able to see here.
Taking Again Sunday and Mark O’Connell haven’t commented publicly, and there’s no phrase as as to whether or not this lawsuit has been resolved within the final two months.
This case is at the moment unfolding.
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