That’s all it took for Fleetwood Mac to deliver an absolutely savage, icy response to the lawsuit leveled against them by former bandmate, Lindsey Buckingham. As we reported late last week, Buckingham, 69, filed a lawsuit against Fleetwood Mac in which he alleges “breach of fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage” as the basis of his complaint.
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At the time of his announcement, Fleetwood Mac did not respond directly – instead, a representative for the band issued a brief statement to Rolling Stone, respectfully calling shenanigans on the lawsuit as “it’s impossible for the band to offer comment on a legal complaint they have not seen”.
“It’s impossible for the band to offer comment on a legal complaint they have not seen.
It’s fairly standard legal procedure to service the complaint to the parties involved, something that neither Mr. Buckingham nor his legal counsel have done. Which makes one wonder what the true motivations are when servicing press first with a legal complaint before the parties in dispute.”
However, it would appear that the band has, in fact, seen the lawsuit in the days since news broke. Fleetwood Mac spokesperson Kristen Foster issued an official statement on behalf of the band today, her words short and sweet but still cutting to the quick:
“Fleetwood Mac looks forward to their day in court.”
It’s worth noting that it didn’t have to be this way; in fact, according to an email sent by Lindsey Buckingham to Mick Fleetwood just weeks after his dismissal, taking legal action was the very last thing he wanted. The email, dated for February 26th, 2018, reads:
“In the month since MusiCares, I’ve tried to speak to both you and Stevie (Nicks), to no avail. I’ve only gotten radio silence this whole time. (I haven’t tried Chris (tine McVie) as I thought she might be feeling a bit fragile.) I even emailed John (McVie), who responded that he couldn’t have contact with me… All of this breaks my heart.
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 26: (L-R) Honorees Stevie Nicks, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac take a bow onstage during MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Fleetwood Mac at Radio City Music Hall on January 26, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
After forty-three years and (with) the finish line clearly in sight, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that for the five of us to splinter apart now would be doing the wrong thing. Wrong for the beautiful legacy we’ve built together. Wrong for our legions of loyal fans who would hate to see the final act be a breakup. Wrong for ourselves, and all that we’ve accomplished and shared together…
If there is a way to work this through, I believe we must try. I love you all no matter what.”
As we reported late last week, Lindsey Buckingham announced that he had filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates, citing “breach of fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage” as the basis of his complaint, according to documents obtained by Rolling Stone.
He Issued A Statement To Rolling Stone Regarding The Suit. It Reads:
“Last January, Fleetwood Mac made the decision to continue to tour without me. I remain deeply surprised and saddened, as this decision ends the beautiful 43-year legacy we built together.
Over the last eight months, our many efforts to come to an agreement have unfortunately proved elusive. I’m looking forward to closure, and will always remain proud of all that we created, and what that legacy represents.”
As we reported earlier this year, Buckingham, 69, was fired from Fleetwood Mac and replaced with Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Crowded House’s Neil Finn just months before the band was slated to hit the road on a lengthy world tour. It’s unknown where this legal battle will take both Lindsey and his former bandmates, but here’s hoping that at the end of the day, they all remember that despite their differences they really did have something quite special in that particular lineup and find a way to mend fences before it’s too late.
