'I've Been Quiet Long Enough' - NOFX Guitarist Disputes Claim of Lawsuit Against Fat Mike in New Statement

Back in January of this year, NOFX drummer Erik Sandien shared ahead of a NOFX roundtable discussion a prepared statement suggesting that guitarist Eric Melvin had served singer Fat Mike legal papers accusing the musician of financial malfeasance. But Melvin has now issued a statement sharing his side of things and claiming no such legal action took place.

What Is Eric Melvin Saying About the Alleged NOFX Dispute?

At the time of Sandien's statement, he was about to join Fat Mike in a roundtable discussion about NOFX with other key figures at the Punk Rock Museum. The statement was read off by Sandien ahead of the discussion to address Melvin's absence and to explain why they would not be answering any questions about the dispute during the course of the conversation.

During the appearance, the band members spoke about their career-spanning 40 Years of F**kin Up documentary which was to receive an early screening in Austin at Brushy Street Commons this past weekend before receiving a wider release in April.

But while Melvin was absent at the roundtable earlier this year, he was in attendance with the band this weekend for the screening of the NOFX documentary. He also chose to address the previous account of the supposed divide that led to his prior absence at the January event.

In a statement posted to his Instagram account, Melvin claimed that the previous statements about his alleged dispute with Fat Mike were not true and he wanted to set the record straight about what actually did happen.

The guitarist shared that there was never any legal action taken but that he had requested an accounting of the group's financial records as was his right as a member of their LLC. He also shared that he was proud of the band's legacy, had appreciation for what they had built together and was looking forward to sharing the documentary with the band's fans.

His full statement can be read below:

Hey all! Eric Melvin here ...
I'm in Austin now to celebrate our film's premiere with my bandmates and I want to address something directly before we get to the good stuff and party time.
Things have been said about me that aren't true and I've been quiet long enough. I won't let one version of events be the only version anymore.
I never sued Fat Mike, NOFX or served anyone in the band legal papers — not at 8AM, not ever.
What actually happened: a letter was sent in the late afternoon of Oct. 7, 2024. Not a lawsuit, not a demand Mike pay me millions of dollars, the words 'thief' or 'illegal' appear nowhere in it — it was a letter requesting financial records I'd been requesting for years without receiving and asking for certain conduct to stop. As a member of this band and the LLC, that's my right. It was private.
Now — to what actually matters.
I love being in NOFX. I love my bandmates. I am so proud of what we've built together over decades. This weekend we premiere a documentary and while it's rooted mostly in one person's perspective, it's us, for better or worse.
We will all be there but our fans are the most important people in that room.
So let's shut down the rumor mill, enjoy Fat Mike's NOFX documentary and party like it's 1991.
xo Mel

A History of NOFX

Fat Mike, Eric Melvin and Erik Sandien all were members of NOFX from their 1983 start through their final performances in 2024. The band's fourth member, Abe Abeyata, joined the group in 1991 and remained through to the end of their run.

Through five decades of music, the band issued 15 studio albums, starting with 1988's Liberal Animation and concluding with 2022's Double Album. Though their final live show took place on Oct. 6, 2024, the band issued a new single titled "Barcelona" last year that was included on a late 2025 compilation from the band titled A-H.

The band's first eight albums were primarily released by Epitaph, before Fat Mike started up the independent label Fat Wreck Chords. The label released each of the band's remaining seven albums in their career.

While the band has retired from touring, the documentary chronicling their career will be hitting more cities in the coming months. Take a closer look at the trailer below and visit their website for ticketing information and details on where and when you can see the movie.