KISS Frontmen Settle Out Of Court
Bassist Gene Simmons and guitarist Paul Stanley have settled the wrongful termination lawsuit brought by the band’s longtime hairstylist.
Plaintiff David Mathews alleged he was the victim of a retaliatory termination linked to his complaints about allegedly “unsafe” COVID protocols on tour.
In his lawsuit, Mathews said he started working for KISS in 1992 as the stylist “whose primary job it was to apply and style KISS’s stage wigs.” He later rose to the level of overseeing the band’s wardrobe and dressing room teams.
Lawyers on both sides informed the judge early Monday that a settlement had been reached, A follow-up hearing in March will confirm the agreement.
Mathews said he was with the band in 2021 when guitar tech Francis Stueber started showing severe COVID symptoms. Mathews claimed he alerted the band’s manager but no “timely” action was taken.
Stueber died in his hotel room on October 17th, 2021. Matthews was accused of speaking to Rolling Stone for a related article – which Matthews has denied. He later contracted COVID during the South American leg of the band’s tour.
Mathews’ lawsuit included claims for wrongful termination, retaliation, failure to pay overtime and failure to provide rest periods. Lawyers for Simmons and Stanley had alleged Mathews was an independent contractor not protected by California law while traveling on tour.
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