Journey’s Jonathan Cain Claims Neal Schon Is Backtracking in Court

A new legal filing from Jonathan Cain accuses his Journey bandmate Neal Schon of going back on a mediated agreement aimed at ending their public feud over band finances.

Schon recently made a public statement saying he had agreed to Cain’s request to appoint a tiebreaking third party to help manage Freedom 2020, the business entity they created to handle their touring operations. However, Cain’s latest petition to a Delaware judge claims that Schon is now trying to “inappropriately limit the role of the custodian.”

Kasey H. DeSantis, Cain’s lawyer, describes this move as “inconsistent with respondent’s counsel’s prior communications with the court and Discovery Facilitator Joseph Slights explicitly agreeing to the appointment of a third deadlock-breaking director.”

Cain previously filed a lawsuit in late July, alleging that Schon’s excessive spending was causing severe financial strain on their current stadium tour with Def Leppard and Steve Miller. According to Cain, Schon was wasting up to $10,000 a night and maxing out the band’s American Express card.

At a hearing on August 7, Judge J. Travis Laster expedited the proceedings and appointed Slights, a former Delaware judge, to serve as a mediator. Around that time, Schon accused Cain of creating a “very toxic work environment” through slanderous social media posts.

Despite this hostility, the bandmates reportedly reached a tentative agreement to resolve their issues on August 22. Now, Cain is asking Judge Laster to approve this earlier version of the agreement.

The feud has also had tangible effects on their tour schedule. Journey’s fall 2024 shows in the U.K. and Ireland were abruptly canceled after Cain filed the lawsuit. It’s unclear whether these cancellations were directly influenced by the financial disputes or the ongoing legal battle. Journey’s current tour dates with Def Leppard are set to conclude in early September. This marks their second tour together, having previously shared the stage in 2018.