The legal battle between Hatebreed and founding bassist Chris Beattie continues to unfold. Back in July, Beattie filed suit against the band and vocalist Jamey Jasta, alleging he was unfairly removed from the lineup in November 2024.
Beattie claims he was ejected after an alleged incident involving a Live Nation security guard during a November 9th, 2024 show at the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, CT. According to the suit, Jasta fired him immediately following the incident, then “structured a false narrative” to present to the rest of the band in order to limit Beattie’s support.
In his filing, Beattie argued:
“[James] Shanahan [aka Jamey Jasta] stood to profit from Beattie’s termination, as he would be entitled to a larger share of band proceeds and profits without Beattie in the band. In addition, Beattie and Shanahan were the primary songwriters for the band and together earned the majority of publishing proceeds for their work. With Beattie out of the band, Shanahan likely believed that he could stand to recover significantly more in the way of publishing proceeds.”
The lawsuit also accuses Jasta of being “secretive” with Hatebreed’s financials and allegedly limiting access to the group’s accounting records.
Now, Jasta and Hatebreed have formally responded in court. In a motion filed Thursday, September 25th, their legal team described Beattie’s lawsuit as a “garden variety band break-up case,” adding:
“Plaintiff, a disgruntled former band member of the band known as ‘Hatebreed,’ erroneously asserts a right to remain a permanent member of the band in perpetuity despite the fact that the underlying relationship between the parties was terminable at-will.”
The motion further argues that no written contract guaranteed Beattie’s place in the band and that his firing did not violate or breach any agreements. Jasta and the band are seeking to have four of the six claims dismissed. Two remaining claims, related to Hatebreed’s merchandising sales, were not addressed in this filing.
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