In a new lawsuit that was filed in Manhattan federal court on Friday (August 23), Joey Ramone’s brother Mitchel Hyman (known as Mickey Leigh) accused Johnny Ramone’s wife, Linda Cummings-Ramone, of violating federal trademark law in an “unrelenting quest” to try and associate herself with the Ramones. The two heirs each control exactly half of the legendary punk band’s holding company, Ramones Productions. Mickey Leigh’s lawsuit refers to Cummings-Ramone as a former “groupie” who has an “insatiable personal desire to shine a spotlight on herself.”

Leigh’s lawyers wrote this in the lawsuit, “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 — that is, to try to push the false narrative that she is the heiress to … the Ramones’ legacy. She most certainly is not. She is nothing more than a blatant self-promoter and an infringer.” A representative for Cummings-Ramone has not issued a public response to the lawsuit as of Monday (August 26). (Billboard)