Former Taking Back Sunday drummer Mark O’Connell appears to be suing his longtime bandmates, according to a newly surfaced lawsuit filed with the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The legal document was posted online by a Reddit user who claims to have stumbled upon it. The suit was reportedly filed on May 27 of this year.
Back in January, O’Connell announced he was parting ways with Taking Back Sunday after more than 25 years in the band. Now, the lawsuit outlines the reasons behind the apparent fallout.
The filing states:
“This action arises from the false and malicious statements made by Defendants [Taking Back Sunday], which were designed to harm Plaintiff [O’Connell] and to prevent Plaintiff from continuing to work with Taking Back Sunday as a drummer and songwriter and to prevent Plaintiff from garnering other business opportunities within the music industry.”
The suit names each band member individually: Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, Shaun Cooper, and Jillian Newman.
It goes on to allege that the band spread damaging claims about O’Connell, including that he was addicted to drugs, struggling with mental health issues, and was an unfit parent who posed a danger to children. The document pushes back on all of this, stating that O’Connell has been sober for two years, has no mental health issues, and is a devoted parent.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Taking Back Sunday failed to provide financial accountings and withheld royalty payments that were owed to O’Connell.
As of now, it appears neither party has made a public statement. You can view the full lawsuit here. We’ll continue to update as more information becomes available.