Report: Motley Crue’s Vince Neil Ordered to Pay $170,000 to Lawyers From Assault Case
Motley Crue singer Vince Neil has reportedly been ordered to pay $170,000 to the lawyers who represented him in an assault case brought by a female fan three years ago. The musician purportedly claimed he was overbilled the amount due to his fame, but a judge recently ruled that Neil must come up with the money.
It all stems from the 2016 lawsuit brought against Neil by a woman named Kelly Guerrero. She claimed the singer assaulted her outside the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas that April. He allegedly grabbed her hair and dragged her to the ground after she asked for an autograph. Actor Nicolas Cage, who was close by at the time, was reportedly engaging in "horseplay" with the musician immediately prior to the altercation. See TMZ's video of Neil's apparent tussle with Cage down towards the bottom of this page.
Now, according to court documents The Blast obtained Tuesday (July 9), a Federal judge has ordered the rocker satisfy $148,962.50 in unpaid legal fees and $21,207.06 in outstanding court costs, for a total of $170,169.56.
Guerrero was left with "severe injuries, including neck pain, lower back pain, a fractured tailbone, and a hip injury" after the alleged assault, according to The Blast. In the lawsuit that sought over $150,000 in restitution, she also claimed the singer was intoxicated at the time of the incident. Neil denied the allegations, demanded the case be thrown out, and accused Guerrero of seeking publicity.
His representation in the case, Howard & Howard Attorneys, PLLC, filed documents last December accusing the rocker of his failure to pay around $190,000 in fees. At first, the firm kept working for him on the case, despite his refusal to compensate the team. But, as of this week, an apparent breaking point has been reached.
Neil accused the lawyers of overbilling him for years and taking advantage of his "celebrity status as a successful rock and roll entertainer." Shortly after word of the lawsuit first made the rounds in 2016, the Motley Crue frontman claimed he wasn't guilty in the assault. However, he later plead guilty to misdemeanor battery.
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