Axl Rose has filed a counterclaim in response to a recent lawsuit brought by former Guns n Roses bandmates Slash, real name Saul Hudson, and Michael 'Duff' McKagan, over alleged unpaid royalties. The countersuit maintains that the original action contains "numerous false allegations" and will ask the US Federal Court to confirm Rose's ownership of GnR creative works.
Rose says that Slash in particular has used the media to imply that he is fully supportive of the new Guns n Roses, when in fact the opposite is true. In a statement the GnR man's people say: "for over 10 years Slash, a consummate press, photo and media opportunist and manipulator, has attacked Axl Rose on a number of levels. Slash's actions whether in or out of Guns N' Roses have been a complete betrayal across the board of his alleged friendship and business relationship with Axl and the so called brotherhood and band loyalties that are supposed to have existed. Instead Slash has publicly attempted, by soliciting public and media support, to take credit for something that was not his or anyone else's to take, notwithstanding that Slash played a major part in the success of the band as Axl has continually acknowledged".
Mr Rose's attorney Howard Weitzman comments: "Axl regrets having to spend time and energy on these distractions but he has a responsibility to protect the Guns N' Roses legacy and expose the truth. Axl believes he has been left with no alternative but to respond to these lawsuits. It would have been Axl's preference to resolve disputes with Slash and Duff in private. The courthouse is not his choice of forum. However, Axl could no longer sit quietly and allow the continuing dissemination of falsehoods and half-truths by his former band-mates."