'Nothing to hide': Sum 41 singer says he's ready to defend memoir in court after legal notices filed

Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 performs during the Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Ky., on September 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Amy Harris

TORONTO — Sum 41 lead singer Deryck Whibley says he’s prepared to battle in Ontario court with his former manager over their sexual relationship, which he alleges took advantage of him as a rising young musician.

The allegations against Greig Nori surfaced last fall in Whibley’s memoir where he wrote that his one-time manager pressured him into a relationship.

Nori, frontman of 1990s rock band Treble Charger, calls Whibley’s claims “a lie,” saying their relationship was consensual, shared between two adults, and that Whibley pursued him.

None of the accusations have been tested in court.

Earlier this month, both sides filed notices with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice intending to sue.

First, Nori filed alleging damages from Whibley and his publishers for libel, while Whibley retorted with his own notice, alleging damage to his reputation for being called a “liar.” The notices moved them a step closer to having their dispute heard by a judge.

Nori did not respond to a request for comment made by email and phone to his lawyers.

In an interview ahead of Sum 41’s final string of shows, Whibley said he’s “got nothing to hide at this point” and stands by what he said in the book.

“I’m willing to go down any road, especially when I have the truth on my side,” he said Sunday in call from Winnipeg where his band has a tour stop.

The pop-punk musician first outlined the allegations in “Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell,” published in October by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, sparking an immediate denial from Nori who said he was blindsided by the accusations shortly before the memoir hit shelves.

According to the book, Nori befriended Whibley after he snuck into a Treble Charger show, later becoming a mentor and ultimately Sum 41’s manager early in their career.

When Whibley turned 18, he says their platonic friendship turned sexual when Nori, in his mid-30s at the time, kissed him in a bathroom stall at a warehouse party while they were high on ecstasy.

He wrote that a power imbalance intensified as Sum 41 saw commercial success with Nori as their manager. Whibley alleged that when he attempted to end their sexual ties, Nori became verbally abusive.

Nori wrote in a statement at the time of the book’s release that “the accusation that I pressured Whibley to continue the relationship is false.”

On Jan. 3, Nori filed a notice of action in Toronto seeking damages from Whibley and Simon & Schuster LLC for libel as well as “damages for breach of confidence, intrusion upon seclusion, wrongful disclosure of private facts, and placing the plaintiff in a false light.”

Whibley responded on Jan. 7, filing a notice of action against Nori seeking “general damages” that he says he sustained because Nori publicly accused him of “being a liar,” and made allegations and statements that were “false and/or inaccurate and would tend to lower the reputation of the plaintiff.”

Sum 41 was founded in Ajax, Ont. and rose to popularity in the early 2000s with hits that included “In Too Deep,” “Makes No Difference” and “Fat Lip.”

The band is approaching the last dates on their farewell tour with two final shows in Toronto on Jan. 28 and 30. They’ll be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards in March.

Part of the wind-up of Whibley’s band included publishing his memoir, which reflected on the meteoric rise that was propelled at least partly by Nori.

Not sharing his relationship with Nori in the pages of his book seemed impossible, explained Whibley. He said those secret experiences had been wearing away on him for years.

“I said yes to writing a memoir about my life. Well, here’s my life,” he said on Sunday.

“I don’t know how you would not tell some of those stories. It was so intertwined with the band. It’s not just this side thing that happened — he was our manager (and) producer.

“It’s what the songs are about. It’s the struggle through making those records. All of that is wrapped up in it.”

Whibley didn’t necessarily expect his dispute with Nori to escalate to a possible court showdown, he said. But he also hadn’t ruled it out.

“If it went that far — to go to a court, a judge and jury — like, great. I’m fine with that. It’s perfect,” he said.

“To me, the world is already the judge and jury. I just put it out there.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2025.