Culture Club settles £1.75m legal battle with former drummer Jon Moss

Culture Club has agreed to pay its former drummer, Jon Moss, £1.75m to settle a legal dispute after he claimed they “expelled” him from the group. The court case, initially set for next week, will not proceed as singer Boy George, guitarist Roy Hay, and bassist Mikey Craig decided in favour of Moss. The band gained fame in the 1980s with hits like Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? Moss filed a lawsuit following his alleged expulsion by the group’s manager in September 2018. A six-day High Court trial in London was scheduled to determine the value of the Culture Club name, the band’s profits since Moss’s alleged dismissal, and his potential entitlements. Boy George, born George O’Dowd, Craig, and Hay, had initially defended against Moss’s claims. However, a court order released on Tuesday stated that the band agreed to resolve the dispute and must pay Moss £1.75m immediately. The drummer has also agreed to give up any rights to the Culture Club name and its usage, including for concerts and merchandise. Moss and Boy George were both romantically and musically involved during the band’s early days but later had a falling out. The group reunited in 2014, but Moss claimed he was fired during the 2018 Life tour. The High Court trial was also set to address Moss’s additional claim that he was owed an “outstanding balance” of $246,000 (£201,000) under a band agreement for the tour. He alleged that Boy George “conspired to defraud” him over the tour money and that funds were released to a US company controlled by the singer. The company, You Give Me Life, and another, Other Places Drama, were also named defendants in the case.