In the latest update to the ongoing spat between Journey members Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, Schon's lawyer's have alleged that Cain's wife, Paula White-Cain - televangelist and "spiritual adviser" to former US President Donald Trump - accessed the band's bank accounts without Schon's consent.
In a cease-and-desist letter obtained by the New York Post, Schon's lawyers address White-Cain directly, saying “We have learned that despite the prior mutual agreement between Mr. Schon and Mr. Jonathan Cain that the business of the band and the Journey Related Entities would be handled only by Mr. Schon and Mr. Cain as individuals, your name appears as an authorised signatory on the City National Bank accounts of Freedom JN LLC.
“We further demand that you immediately cease and desist and refrain in the future from inserting yourself in any business of the band and any legal entities used by the band as this contradicts the existing agreement between Mr. Schon and Mr. Cain.”
The letter is the latest development in the ongoing battle between the two musicians, which kicked off in November when Schon accused Cain of setting up a credit card account without his knowledge, an account through which "millions of Journey funds" flowed.
Cain responded with a statement that read, "This is a matter that should have been resolved privately, but I am forced to publicly respond now to Neal’s malicious lies and personal attacks on my family and I in an effort to garner public support for his ill-conceived lawsuit – a lawsuit that has absolutely no merit."
Cain went on to accuse Schon of "excessive spending" and enjoying an "extravagant lifestyle", leading him to run up "enormous personal charges on the band’s credit card account."
The following month, Schon issued a cease-and-desist order after Cain performed Journey's Don't Stop Believin' at an event at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, claiming that Cain "should not be capitalising on Journey’s brand to promote his personal political or religious agenda to the detriment of the band."
Cain responded with another statement, which read, "Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the Journey brand. I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his and his wife's bizarre behaviour. Neal sued Live Nation twice, losing both times, and damaging our ability to ever work with them again."
The statement continued, "Neal and his wife recklessly spend Journey's money until there is none left for operating costs. If anyone is destroying the Journey brand, it is Neal and Neal alone."
In other Journey legal news, former singer Steve Perry has dropped a lawsuit against Schon and Cain, after initially claiming that the pair had registered a number of Journey song titles with their company with a view to using them on merchandise without Perry's permission. Writing on social media, Schon wrote, "No more lawsuit with Steve. Time to talk."
Journey's Freedom tour kicks off early next month, and while both Cain and Schon were involved in the original announcement, Schon has since confirmed that founding member Gregg Rolie would be joining the touring line-up. It's unclear whether Cain is still involved.
“In the end, he [Schon] needs me as much as I need him,” Cain told Classic Rock in 2022. “You don’t like me or you don’t like my religion or my politics, fine. But in the end we come together to play music. That’s what it’s about.”
