Lawsuit Filed Against Rock & Roll Star Eddie Money

Rock & Roll legend Eddie Money has been accused of lewdly, sexually harassing the fiancé of his former, long-time drummer and best friend, Glenn Symmonds, including calling her a “dirty little girl,” placing his thumb through his zipper and waiving it at her like a penis, repeatedly telling Mr. Symmonds he wanted to have sex with her, attempting numerous open mouth kisses against her will, and forcibly grabbing her by the arm and dragging her into a bathroom stall, where Mr. Money put his arms around the fiancé and blocked her exit.
These allegations were made in a First Amended Complaint recently filed in a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by Mr. Symmonds. The case, Symmonds et al. v. Money et al., is currently pending in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County, Case No. BC620563.

The First Amended Complaint, filed on May 20, 2016, adds Mr. Symmonds’ fiancé, Tami Landrum, as a plaintiff, and alleges 22 causes of action, including sexual harassment; harassment based on age, disability, and medical condition; discrimination based on age, disability, and medical condition; retaliation; wrongful termination; defamation; and battery, assault, and false imprisonment.

No trial date has yet been set in the case.

“Rock stars are not above the law,” said Mr. Symmonds’ lead trial attorney Lawrance Bohm of the Bohm Law Group, which took over Symmonds’ representation after his case was transferred from Sacramento County to Los Angeles County. “Eddie Money has to play by the same rules as every other employer in the State of California. Tami and Glenn had a right to be free of harassment and retaliation at work. We are going to hold Eddie Money accountable for his malicious and reprehensible conduct.”

For nearly four decades, Mr. Symmonds was a drummer – off and on – for Eddie Money’s band, touring the country, and performing at hundreds of live shows. Unfortunately, this long time relationship ended after Mr. Symmonds decided to stand up to the fading superstar’s enormous ego and illegal, out-of-control behavior.

According to Mr. Symmonds’ legal team, the Bohm Law Group, the lawsuit against Eddie Money epitomizes the titles of many of his hit songs. At this point in his career, Money truly has “No Control,” “trouble” has become his adopted middle name, and he’s about to take “The Big Crash.” He’s been running with the devil, losing control everywhere, and is no longer in any position to buy “Two Tickets to Paradise.” Money does not “Walk on Water” – he is no angel, and has made a number of illegal moves he will soon regret. Money should “Think Twice” about what he has done in regards to his relationship with Symmonds and his financé Landrum. It’s just a matter of time before he’ll be “Shakin’” and found guilty. But “Don’t Worry”- as Glenn Symmonds knows – you “Can’t Keep a Good Man Down.”

Says Mr. Symmonds, “Never in a million years could I have anticipated the ending to this story. Eddie Money was more than an employer to me – he was my close friend for over 40 years. I’m suing him because I have been overworked, underpaid, harassed, slandered, ridiculed and humiliated. It came to the point where he was shredding my very character while we were live on stage. This has damaged my health, demeaned my career, and jeopardized my relationship with my fiancé, Tami. It came to a point where enough was enough, and I had to take drastic measures against Eddie to put a stop to his destructive actions. I take great pride in my profession, my positivity, and my pay-it-forward attitude. I felt I could no longer allow my integrity, my spirit, my fiancé, my family, and myself to be treated by my former colleague and friend in such a despicable manner.”

Adds Ms. Landrum, “I’ve been an Eddie Money fan since I was just a kid. Working for him, and touring with his band, was a dream come true for me. However, actually getting to know the ‘real Eddie Money’ became completely devastating for me. I guess it’s true what they say: be careful what you wish for. I’m beyond sad to learn that Eddie Money’s ‘Got No Control’ are not just the lyrics to a song, but an actual confession of his true character.”

According to Mr. Symmonds’ attorney Bradley Mancuso, “When you read the long list of abusive treatment Glenn was forced to endure, especially while fighting for his life against cancer – and to hear about the horrible sexual harassment his fiancé Tami suffered at the hands of a famed rock star, it all just breaks your heart. Glenn and Tami are such wonderful people, and they deserved to be treated better. We look forward to getting them the justice that is warranted in this case.”

ABOUT THE CASE:

Mr. Symmonds is being represented in his case against Eddie Money by Lawrance Bohm, Bradley Mancuso, and Brandon Ortiz of the California-wide Bohm Law Group, a renowned law firm – with offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego – which has achieved numerous successes protecting and defending civil and workplace rights.

The First Amended Complaint alleges as follows:

** In the final years of his employment with Eddie Money and his business, Eddie Money Entertainment, Inc., Mr. Symmonds was the subject of constant ridicule and harassment by Mr. Money, due to his disabilities of bladder cancer and a back injury. Mr. Money would often mock Mr. Symmonds while performing live on stage for his urinary incontinence (caused by chemotherapy), and would refuse Mr. Symmonds the basic dignity of being allowed to change clothes before running Mr. Money’s merchandise booth after shows.

** Mr. Symmonds responded by doing what everyone who works for Mr. Money does: he kept his mouth shut and took the abuse. Additionally, during this time, Mr. Money also constantly made vulgar sexual advances toward Mr. Symmonds’ girlfriend, Tami Landrum. A married man, Mr. Money, according to the complaint, simply could not control himself, blatantly revealing to Mr. Symmonds that he wanted to have sex with Ms. Landrum.

** The final straw in the Money/Symmonds relationship broke when Mr. Money forcibly grabbed Ms. Landrum by the arm before a concert in May 2015, and dragged her into a bathroom, where he put his arms around her and blocked her exit. After a struggle, Ms. Landrum managed to escape – and then alerted Mr. Symmonds, who confronted Mr. Money, demanding that he leave her alone.

** Mr. Symmonds, possibly the first and only employee to ever stand up to Mr. Money during the rocker’s long and fabled career, was fired two weeks later. Ms. Landrum, who helped design Eddie Money themed products – and who ran Mr. Money’s merchandise booth — was also “laid off.” After the wrongful terminations, Mr. Money began to viciously spread lies on Facebook that Mr. Symmonds was sending hecklers to his concerts, and had “dried drunked” himself out of a job – “Dried Drunked” is a term used by members of 12-step programs to describe someone who is acting like they are still an active addict, even though they are sober.

** The false and defamatory statements made by Mr. Money following these troublesome incidents have ruined Mr. Symmonds’ music career, with Mr. Money continuing to harass and torment Mr. Symmonds to this day, a year after their split.

ABOUT GLENN SYMMONDS:

Glenn Symmonds is best known as the longtime drummer who brought the big beat for legendary rocker Eddie Money, but that’s just the icing on the cake. He is a multi-faceted musician in the truest sense. His solo performances are a unique experience that showcases his mastery of the acoustic guitar, along with his uncanny, lyrical storytelling. The prose of his heart, intertwined with the chords of his soul, captures his audiences and takes them on an unprecedented musical journey.

His current touring production “Beautiful Detours” is delighting audiences in living rooms and small clubs across the country. Mr. Symmonds has long enjoyed a natural rapport with his audiences that is hard to match, whether tugging at heartstrings or tickling a funny bone. He has the ability to get his crowds singing along one minute, laughing out loud the next, and then holding back tears—all accompanied by the skillful strums of his guitar.

Mr. Symmonds has been a professional, touring musician for 30-plus years, giving him an exceptional level of experience that sets him apart. When combined with his innate ability to entertain and engage a roomful of people, the result is a unique, live music performance that has his audiences begging for more. Who needs “Two Tickets to Paradise,” when you can get an all-access pass for a “Beautiful Detour?”

Mr. Symmonds, who began his musical journey as a session drummer throughout the ‘70’s and 80’s, has recorded and toured with such diverse artists as Automatic Man, Coke Escovedo, Etta James, Dave Mason, Juice Newton, Duncan Sheik and The Untouchables, just to name a few. He refers to the Eddie Money Band as his “day job,” with live performances on over 100 tour dates a year.

However, Mr. Symmonds’ passion remains playing his guitar and singing his songs. A natural storyteller and entertainer, his music features folk roots, reggae melodies, and country and pop influences from such artists as Tom Petty, John Hiatt, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. When he’s not on the road, Mr. Symmonds can be found in his studio writing, recording, and mentoring; spending some time in Missouri with his son Marley; or somewhere under the California sunshine. Please see: http://www.glennsymmonds.com/

ABOUT EDDIE MONEY:

Born Edward Mahoney into a large Irish Catholic family in Brooklyn, and raised in Plainedge on Long Island, Eddie Money moved to Berkeley, California, and became a regular performer at area clubs, where he secured a recording contract with Columbia. Later in the 1970s, he charted with singles such as “Baby Hold On” and “Two Tickets to Paradise.” Money continued his successes and took advantage of the MTV music video scene in the early 1980s with his humorous narrative videos for “Shakin” and “Think I’m in Love,” but his career began to fail after several unsuccessful releases in the mid-1980s. This decline in his record sales was accompanied by his struggles with drug addiction.

Money made a comeback in 1986, and returned to the mainstream rock spotlight with the album “Can’t Hold Back.” The album’s Ronnie Spector duet “Take Me Home Tonight” reached the Top 10, as did the hit “I Wanna Go Back.” Money followed the album with another Top 10 hit, “Walk on Water” (1988), but his Top 40 career ended following the #21 placement of “I’ll Get By” in 1992.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Money continued to release numerous compilation albums, along with several additional albums featuring new material. To help combat his drug addition, Money joined a 12-step program in 2001, and has said of his addiction, “I came to the realization that I didn’t really need [it] for my quick wit.”

Today, Money still tours regularly, often accompanied by other prominent rock acts from the 1970s and 1980s. He has also made several television appearances on American sitcoms. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Money

Source: Lawrance Bohm & The Bohm Law Group
Image License: Creative Commons / Author: Wmshprd