Bad Wolves and Tommy Vext Reach Settlement
Bad Wolves and former singer Tommy Vext have issued a statement saying they’ve reached a settlement over the legal issues that have engulfed the two parties in recent months.
Vext (né Thomas Cummings) and Bad Wolves parted ways in January, not long after the frontman’s ex-girlfriend, fitness model and personal trainer Whitney Johns, was granted a restraining order against him. Vext has since been replaced by Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz (ex-The Acacia Strain).
Vext then filed a lawsuit against the band’s manager, Allen Kovac, and label, Better Noise Music, alleging breach of fiduciary duties, breach of various agreements, and unjust enrichment. Furthermore, Vext alleged that Kovac, who is white, routinely used racial slurs. This despite the fact that in June of 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement’s protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd, Vext said in a video that “racism… doesn’t exist” in America.
Better Noise Music then sued the singer for copyright infringement after he took to Instagram and OnlyFans to share unreleased Bad Wolves music with his vocals on it, alleging that Vext “has resorted to actively sabotaging the band.” Bad Wolves issued a statement claiming that Vext was “emotionally and physically abusive” during his tenure with the group, and addressing what they referred to as “fraudulent claims” made by Vext with regards to songwriting credits for the band’s work. Vext, meanwhile, announced that he would be touring under the name ‘Tommy Vext and The B@d W8lv3s,’ with the band and label claiming that was “a blatant attempt to confuse concertgoers into thinking this is an approved tour.”
Billboard is now reporting that the two parties have reached a settlement in a mediation session that took place earlier this week. The band can continue to release music and tour under the Bad Wolves name while Vext is free to do the same under his own name with any label. Other terms of the agreement, such as those potentially involving songwriting credits or any money changing hands, were not disclosed.
Both parties released a joint statement to Billboard, explaining:
“Bad Wolves and its co-founder John Boecklin, alongside their label Better Noise, manager 10th Street Entertainment, and publisher 5-19, have collectively resolved their disputes with Tommy Vext. A partnership can sometimes lead to divorce. Artists have creative differences and argue over songs, credits, and much more; however, if both sides believe in their own talents, they find a path to go their separate ways. This is a settlement with no winners and no losers; it’s beneficial to everyone in order to move on and bury the hatchet. This is a new beginning and a bright future for all those concerned. We’re all excited to get back to what’s important, and that’s the music. Bad Wolves and Tommy wish each other the best going forward, and ask that their fans respect this decision.”
The settlement comes just in time for Bad Wolves new album, Dear Monsters, which comes out today, October 29.
