Chris Fehn’s lawsuit against Slipknot, filed in March 2019, accused frontman Corey Taylor, percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan, and the band’s manager of quietly routing touring and merchandise profits through a group of Slipknot-affiliated companies Fehn said he never knew existed. Fehn was fired six days after filing. The case moved through New York Supreme Court for more than a year before ending in a confidential settlement in October 2020.
What Fehn Alleged
Fehn’s 14-page complaint, filed March 13, 2019, under index number 651539/2019, brought four counts centered on breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment.1Trellis.law. Complaint Amended, Fehn v. Slipknot, Incorporated It named Taylor, Crahan, manager Robert Shore, Rob Shore & Associates Inc., and six Slipknot-related business entities as defendants.2Des Moines Register. Slipknot Percussionist Chris Fehn Lawsuit
The core claim was simple. Fehn said he had always understood that a single company handled all of Slipknot’s touring and merchandise revenue and then divided the profits among band members. He alleged he later discovered Taylor, Crahan, and Shore had created additional corporate entities without telling him or the other members.3Rolling Stone. Slipknot Part Ways With Percussionist Chris Fehn Amid Lawsuit The complaint listed them as Slipknot, Incorporated (registered in both New York and California), Knot Merch LLC, Knot Touring LLC, Slipknot Merchandising LLC, and Slipknot Touring LLC.4NME. Chris Fehn Lawsuit Against Slipknot Over Several Businesses Fehn said he had never been paid through any of these companies and that the structure enriched Taylor and Crahan “out of proportion to the efforts and undivided interests of the other general partners.”2Des Moines Register. Slipknot Percussionist Chris Fehn Lawsuit
Rather than name a dollar figure, Fehn asked the court to order a full forensic accounting of every Slipknot company and asset so his share could be determined.5Ghost Cult Magazine. Parts of Former Slipknot Percussionist Chris Fehn’s Lawsuit Gets Dismissed
The Contract That Triggered the Suit
Fehn’s attorney Joel Rothman said the conflict came to a head when Fehn was handed a new contract as a condition of entering the studio to record what would become the band’s sixth album. Rothman called it a “very onerous take-it-or-leave-it, you’re-not-an-equal-member-of-the-band-type proposal” and said Fehn was barred from recording his parts until he signed.6MetalSucks. Attorney for Former Slipknot Percussionist on Contract Proposal
Rothman argued Fehn had been an equal partner since Slipknot’s formation and that the new deal would have reduced him to a “second-class citizen” after 20 years with the group.7Ultimate Classic Rock. Slipknot Chris Fehn Deal He also alleged the band’s management had a conflict of interest, representing individual members while acting on behalf of the whole, and that Shore’s company had withheld business information from Fehn while sharing it with Taylor and Crahan.8Metal Insider. Chris Fehn’s Attorney Sheds More Light on Slipknot Lawsuit A second attorney, Joseph Dunne, said publicly that Fehn still considered himself a band member and wished to remain one.
Fehn’s Firing and the Band’s Response
On March 19, 2019, six days after the filing, Slipknot announced on their website that they had parted ways with Fehn. The band’s statement read: “Chris knows why he is no longer a part of Slipknot. We are disappointed that he chose to point fingers and manufacture claims, rather than doing what was necessary to continue to be a part of Slipknot.”3Rolling Stone. Slipknot Part Ways With Percussionist Chris Fehn Amid Lawsuit
Taylor pushed back on Twitter against the theft accusations, telling one fan: “Try being wrongfully accused of stealing money from someone you cared about, and having a lot of your fans believe it.”2Des Moines Register. Slipknot Percussionist Chris Fehn Lawsuit In a later interview, Taylor said: “We split merch equally. We split live equally. We do everything equally.” He did not address whether publishing royalties were split the same way.9Metal Injection. Corey Taylor Says Every Member of Slipknot Paid Equally
What Happened in Court
The defendants filed multiple motions to dismiss. In September 2019, Taylor and Crahan argued the case belonged elsewhere, saying none of their contracts had been signed in New York, none of their albums recorded there, and their presence in the state amounted to nothing more than occasional tour stops.10NME. Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Shawn Clown Crahan Respond to Chris Fehn Lawsuit Shore separately sought dismissal on the ground that Fehn was a hired employee rather than a full partner.11MetalSucks. Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Clown Want Chris Fehn’s Lawsuit Tossed
Justice Melissa Anne Crane ruled on the motions in two rounds. In November 2019, the court dismissed Shore as an individual defendant, holding he could not be sued personally; claims against his company Rob Shore & Associates continued.12Loudwire. Portion of Chris Fehn Lawsuit Against Slipknot Business Manager Dismissed On January 3, 2020, Justice Crane denied the motion to dismiss the claims against the Slipknot business entities, reasoning they fell under the umbrella of the general partnership Fehn alleged existed. She also indicated from the bench that she sided with Fehn on the jurisdictional challenge, noting New York was the home state of Rob Shore & Associates, which managed the bulk of the band’s business. The case moved into document discovery.13The PRP. Chris Fehn’s Slipknot Lawsuit to Proceed Following Hearing
How the Case Ended
On October 29, 2020, Fehn filed a notice of voluntary discontinuance ending the case with prejudice and without costs to any party.14NME. Former Slipknot Percussionist Chris Fehn Has Reportedly Settled His Lawsuit “With prejudice” means Fehn cannot refile the same claims.1598 KUPD. Former Slipknot Member Chris Fehn Discontinues Lawsuit Against Band Neither side disclosed financial terms or confirmed the details of any agreement, though a voluntary dismissal with prejudice is generally understood in legal practice to reflect a private settlement.16Louder Sound. The Chris Fehn vs. Slipknot Legal Case Has Been Settled
Not the Only Suit Against the Band
Fehn’s case was not the last dispute of its kind. In June 2023, the estate of founding drummer Joey Jordison sued Taylor and Crahan in Los Angeles, alleging they had profited from Jordison’s 2021 death and failed to return at least 22 items of his personal property as promised under a 2015 buyout agreement that followed his 2013 firing.17NME. Joey Jordison’s Estate Suing Slipknot for Profiting Off His Death That case reached an undisclosed settlement in September 2024.18Louder Sound. Slipknot Joey Jordison Estate Suit Settled The recurring litigation has centered on the same underlying questions raised by Fehn: how Slipknot’s business is structured, who counts as a partner versus a hired hand, and what departing members are owed.