Mick Mars bears no ill will toward John 5 for replacing him in Mötley Crüe.

John joined the “Kickstart My Heart” outfit after Mars retired from touring in October 2022. Said retirement has since led to a lawsuit over a financial dispute between Mars and his now-former band, but that hasn’t affected his opinion of John 5.

“Well, I’ve never disliked John, I’ve always liked him and still do,” Mars tells Guitar World. “He’s been a really good friend of mine for a long time.”

Mars adds that he feels Mötley “made a very, very wise choice with John.”

While he’s no longer in Mötley Crüe, Mars just dropped his debut solo single, “Loyal to the Lie,” on Halloween. He’ll drop an album, The Other Side of Mars, on February 23.

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