Vince Neil has reacted in anger to a new episode of the Reelz documentary series Breaking the Band, which focused on the history of Motley Crue, while bandmate Nikki Sixx reported that they'd be taking legal action against its producers.

The singer focused on coverage of his departure from the group in 1992 after an argument, which he claimed their then manager, Doug Thaler, should have prevented. When the lineup change was made public the official reason was that Neil’s motor racing had “become a priority” in his life.

“Breaking the band, fucking memories from a manager Doug Thaler who can’t remember that he’s the one who actually broke up the band!” Neil wrote in Instagram (with slight edits). “The band didn’t break up because of me racing. It broke up because he was too much of a pussy who didn’t just say, ‘Hey guys, let’s take a week off and come back with cooler heads.’ He called me an hour later and said I was out of the band! Great management!"

He continued: “What he didn’t say was, instead of me going racing I put out a top 10 single with ‘You’re Invited’ – oops he forgot! Then an album called ‘Exposed’ – oops, forgot again! No wonder he was fired shortly after.”

In Motley Crue’s 2001 memoir The Dirt, Thaler said long-developing tensions had boiled over after Neil failed to show up for a rehearsal in flood conditions, while the rest of the band, who lived much further away from the studio, had all made the journey. On being faxed an instruction to make himself present, he called to say he hadn’t received the message because phone lines were down – prompting the query as to how he was making the call. He eventually arrived, “soaked and sulking,” and criticized the quality of the band’s new material, then left, saying he quit. Sixx rote: “He says he was fired. I say he quit.” Neil returned to the Crue in 1996 after disappointing sales of their 1994 self-titled album that featured John Corabi on lead vocals.

Following Neil's outburst, Sixx tweeted the the band's disapproval over the TV episode. "Breaking the Band was not authorized by Motley Crue," he said. "Our lawyers sent them a cease-and-desist and further action will be taken. @ReelzChannel Is the bottom of the barrel." He later added: "Should @ReelzChannel be liable for putting out shows without so many artist approval? I am very disappointed that they think they can tell our LIFE story just to sell advertising ( mostly incorrect ) and without any bodies permission."

 

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