The long-standing legal feud between Joey Ramone’s brother, Mitchel Hyman (aka Mickey Leigh), and Johnny Ramone’s widow, Linda Cummings-Ramone, has flared up again, this time over control of the Ramones’ legacy. In a lawsuit filed on Friday, August 23, in Manhattan federal court, Leigh accuses Cummings-Ramone of violating federal trademark law in her alleged efforts to associate herself with the iconic punk band.
The suit claims that Cummings-Ramone, whom it refers to as a former “groupie,” has been on an “unrelenting quest” to exploit the Ramones’ name for her own benefit. Leigh’s legal team asserts that she is falsely portraying herself as the heir to the band’s legacy, despite having no rightful claim.
“Ms. Cummings-Ramone has made and continues to make blatant attempts to exploit and personally capitalize on and benefit from the name, goodwill, and legacy of the Ramones,” the lawsuit reads. “She most certainly is not [the heir]. She is nothing more than a blatant self-promoter and an infringer.”
The tension between Leigh and Cummings-Ramone mirrors the fraught relationship between Joey (Jeffrey Ross Hyman) and Johnny Ramone (John William Cummings) during their time as bandmates. Since the deaths of both musicians in the early 2000s, their feud seems to have passed on to their respective heirs, who each control half of Ramones Productions, the company that manages the band’s music and assets.
The latest dispute began in January when Cummings-Ramone sued Leigh in New York state court, accusing him of secretly developing an unauthorized biopic, believed to be Netflix’s planned Ramones movie starring Pete Davidson as Joey. Cummings-Ramone argued that any official retelling of the Ramones’ story would require her approval.
Now, eight months later, with that case still unresolved, Leigh is fighting back. His new lawsuit claims that Cummings-Ramone has improperly used the band’s trademarks, particularly by adopting the name “Linda Ramone,” despite the fact that “Ramone” was not the legal surname of her late husband or any other band member.
Leigh’s legal team argues that Cummings-Ramone has overstepped her rights, using the Ramones name to present herself as the band’s spokesperson and “keeper of the legacy.” The lawsuit asserts that earlier legal agreements had placed strict limits on how Cummings-Ramone could use the Ramone name, limits she has allegedly ignored.
“Ms. Cummings-Ramone presents herself to the world as ‘Linda Ramone’ and unilaterally adopts the mantle of designated Ramones spokesperson and ‘keeper of the legacy’,” Leigh’s lawyers write. “She intentionally gives the false impression that she is empowered to take the lead on, or unilaterally pursue, Ramones business.”
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