AceShowbiz - For a band famously encouraging fans to "love, touch, and squeeze each other," Journey has recently been mired in turmoil. Despite longtime members Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain performing together nightly on their current farewell tour, the two are embroiled in ongoing lawsuits against each other. Such disputes among septuagenarian rock veterans over management and financial issues are not unheard of, but the situation took a turn when Steve Perry’s name was dragged into the controversy.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Jonathan Cain admitted to deliberately misleading the public about Steve Perry’s willingness to rejoin Journey for their tour. Cain revealed that, in a February interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, he "planted a little seed" by suggesting Perry might be considering a reunion, even though he knew this was untrue. He explained to Rolling Stone, "I was trying to fish a little bit, and say, 'Well, he's thinking about it.' He came immediately out and said, 'No, I'm not.'"

This tactic was part of an effort to combat the proliferation of false information fueled by artificial intelligence, according to Cain. He expressed frustration with what he described as "so much fake AI stuff going on," which prompted him to stir up attention deliberately. However, this maneuver required Steve Perry to publicly deny the rumors and "gently put them to rest."

This article is based on reporting originally published by Vulture.