Nikki Sixx said Monday that neither he nor his band Mötley Crüe have anything to do with a new play scheduled to be part of the upcoming Hollywood Fringe festival.
The Crüe: Underneath The Dirt Lies The Truth is described as “a completely unauthorized play about the world’s most notorious rock band.” It is set to have its world premiere on June 4.
“I was disappointed to see an advertisement using my image and our band’s trademark … to promote this play,” Sixx, 63, wrote in a message he shared on Instagram. “The advertising is misleading because it suggests that I and the other members of the band are somehow involved with the play.
“We have never been approached about this play. And Mötley Crüe has no connection or affiliation with this play whatsoever.”
Posters for the play, pictured in an Instagram post by director David Lucarelli, clearly indicate that it is “completely unauthorized” – although earlier versions do not.
The Crüe is being promoted as “a darkly humorous drama” starring Ryan Ruffing as Sixx. “Neither a hatchet job, nor a snow job, The Crüe is an intimate look at Nikki Sixx and the band he built into a cultural phenomenon.” The play comes with a warning that is contains “adult themes of sexual assault, violence, and drug abuse.”
In a statement to iHeartRadio.ca, Lucarelli said he regrets causing any confusion. "Nikki Sixx is a personal hero of mine. I am mortified that I have upset him," he said.
"We immediately took all possible steps to address his concerns. We have changed the image we are using to advertise the play and we have dropped the umlauts from the title."
Lucarelli insisted he is in no way profiting from the Mötley Crüe name. "I wrote a one act zero budget play being performed in a tiny theatre that with all performances combined will play to less people that go to see the average Mötley Crüe tribute band on a Saturday night," he explained. "We’re not doing it to make money. If all the shows sell out it will still lose money. We’re putting it on out of our love of theatre and our love of the band. We are not using any of their music or lyrics in the show.
"This is not a controversy we were looking for or want. The only reason to go see The Crüe is because it’s a good play about a great band."
This article has been updated since it was first published.