Sex Pistols' Disney feud – Bitter lawsuit, 'a***hole' rant and Danny Boyle comeback

The long awaited Sex Pistols documentary has arrived on streaming service Disney+ – but it has not been an easy road to get here.

Pistol, a new biopic six-part mini series by Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle, is based on a 2016 memoir by band member Steve Jones called Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol.

However, it recently became the subject of a court battle between The Sex Pistols band members, after singer John Lydon wanted to prevent the band’s songs being used in the programme.

As Pistol drops on Disney+, Daily Star has taken a closer look inside The Sex Pistols feud.

Bitter lawsuit and court ruling

In 2021, Sex Pistols singer John Lydon took his fellow band members to court, in a legal battle over the use of the band’s music in the new mini series Pistol.

He wanted to block the makers of Pistol from using their music in the series, but instead, band members Steve Jones and Paul Cook sued the singer in order for the songs to be used.

In court, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook argued that, under the terms of a band agreement made in 1998, decisions regarding licensing requests could be determined on a ‘majority rules basis’.

However, John Lydon argued that licences could not be granted without his consent.

A High Court judge later ruled they could invoke majority voting rights and the music was approved for use in the series.

A joint statement by Steve Jones and Paul Cook following the ruling, read: “It brings clarity to our decision-making and upholds the band members’ agreement on collective decision-making.

“It has not been a pleasant experience, but we believe it was necessary to allow us to move forward and hopefully work together in the future with better relations.”

Band reaction

Following the court ruling, each of the band members had very different reactions to the ruling – from anger, to regret over fighting between the band members and hope for a reunion.

John Lydon opened up in an interview with The Telegraph about losing a legal battle against his former bandmates, which he said had “financially ruined him.”

He said: “This entire juggernaut of confusion has cost me millions,” adding: “Such a hideous, nasty onslaught; I never expected Steve, Paul, and Glen [Matlock, original Sex Pistols bassist] to be that evil.

“And we never even sat down and had a conversation about it.”

However, fellow Sex Pistol Paul Cook has said that despite this, he hopes to mend his friendship with John Lydon, following the bitter lawsuit.

He told The Mirror: “The court case was going to happen eventually. It was disappointing. I didn’t want to be sitting there in court grilled by some toff in a wig.

“I don’t want to get in a slanging match. We had an agreement, majority rules kind of thing, John didn’t agree with it.”

He added: “Hopefully, it’s not broke forever, our relationship.

“I hope we talk again. We’re not bosom buddies and we hadn’t spoken for a long time before the case. Hey, we’ve got to do business together and hopefully that will continue in a reasonable manner.”

Steve Jones also recently said he did not want the court case to happen, telling NME: “It was very stressful, that court case,” adding: “it was the last thing that I wanted.”

John even branded Danny Boyle an “a***hole” on This Morning this week after being asked about the series, as Alison Hammond said: “Danny Boyle has previously said, ‘I love Lydon for what he does and I don’t want him to like it.

“I think that he’s he has an absolute right. Why would you change the habit of a lifetime?’ That’s Danny Boyle.”

John then replied: “You a**hole”, as the ITV presenters quickly apologised for his outburst.

Danny Boyle speaks out

Following the release of the trailer for Pistol, which stars Game Of Thrones actress Maisie Smith and model Iris Law, John Lydon released a statement through his lawyers saying he would not hesistate to pursue further legal action.

The star had previously said on his website that “We were originally led to believe ‘Pistol’ was a Steve Jones story, not a Sex Pistols story.”

However, following the trailer release, a second statement read: “The fact that the series is being described as “a dramatization” rather than “a factual documentary” does not excuse it from the prospect of being subject to scrutiny for defamation.

“John will not hesitate to pursue legal action to protect his reputation.”

Ahead of the series launch, director Danny Boyle addressed the comments from John Lydon and used the opportunity instead to praise the singer.

Speaking to The Guardian, Danny Boyle called John “a genius” and said he wants him to attack the mini series, saying: “He’s the person that changed everything, a key cultural figure in our landscape.

“I love Lydon for what he does and I don’t want him to like it (Pistol) – I want him to attack it. I think that’s his absolute right.

“Why would you change the habit of a lifetime?”

At the premiere, drummer Paul Cook also praised Danny Boyle’s new Pistols series, saying in a recent interview with NME that the director was ‘very influenced by the punks’.

“He did a great job,” said Paul.

“Who would have thought, 45 years later, an Oscar-winning director would be doing a film from the story of Steve Jones’s book, a ragamuffin from Shepherd’s Bush – a local boy made good who ended up making history along the way?”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk