Josh Homme Sued for Alleged Assault by Autograph Seeker
An autograph collector filed a lawsuit against Josh Homme on Monday, alleging the Queens of the Stone Age rocker assaulted him after an Iggy Pop concert in Detroit last year.
Jason Leckrone, a school teacher who collects autographs as a hobby, alleged that Homme verbally assaulted him and grabbed him “around the shoulder area.” The confrontation took place outside the Museum of Contemporary Art, where an afterparty was being held following Homme’s performance with Iggy Pop in support of their album, Post Pop Depression.
According to the suit, Leckrone went to the museum to get Iggy Pop’s autograph but was unsuccessful. He stuck around, however, and when Homme arrived, the musician began taking pictures but allegedly refused to sign autographs, prompting a rebuke from Leckrone.
Leckrone claims Homme continued to swear at him as he finished taking pictures, then approached him directly and continued “screaming profanities.” Homme then supposedly entered the party, but returned shortly after and confronted Leckrone again. Per the suit, Homme was “screaming at [Leckrone] and pointing his finger inches from [Leckrone’s] face” and then “intentionally and physically grabbed [Leckrone] around the shoulder area.”
In the same suit, Leckrone added TMZ as a defendant, alleging defamation, false light, appropriation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. TMZ posted part of the incident captured on video on April 11th, 2016. It’s unclear at what point during the argument the clip was shot, but Homme can be seen mockingly placing an arm over Leckrone’s shoulders after asking the teacher if he’d “come teach at my house for free?” Homme goes on to call Leckrone a “fucking loser” and says, “I’ve signed tons of fucking autographs in my life — I take pictures. Is that ok with you?”
“The publication of these remarks has resulted in damage to plaintiff’s reputation in the community and economic loss, including, but not limited to, the
following:
a. emotional distress
b. humiliation, mortification, and embarrassment
c. sleeplessness and anxiety,” the complaint read.
Along with Homme and TMZ, Leckrone is even suing the Richard and Jane Manoogian Foundation and the Museum of Contemporary Art for negligence. The suit claims they were “responsible for the premises where the incident took place and provided security” and “allowed Homme to engage [Leckrone] in a hostile and threatening manner multiple times.”
A representative for Homme declined to comment. Representatives for Leckrone, TMZ and the Museum of Contemporary Art did not immediately reply to requests for comment, though Leckrone’s lawyer, Gregory Wix, told the Detroit Free Press that “the video pretty much speaks for itself.”
For each of the six counts, Leckrone is seeking $25,000 plus interest and attorney fees, bringing the total of the suit to about $150,000.