Madonna faces lawsuit for subjecting fans to 'pornography' on stage
Madonna is facing a class action lawsuit filed by a fan named Justen Lipeles in California. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that Madonna and her promoter Live Nation "deceived" concertgoers during her recent Celebration World Tour. The complaint accuses them of misleading fans into buying expensive tickets for concerts held in February and March and "purposely and deceptively" hiding important information.
Allegations of late starts and uncomfortable conditions
Lipeles's lawsuit details several grievances, including the claim that Madonna and Live Nation did not inform ticket buyers about late start times. The shows at four California venues reportedly began as late as after 10:00pm, despite "being promised" otherwise. Additionally, the suit alleges that Madonna maintained an "unbearably hot temperature," refused that ACs be turned on, and asked fans to take off their clothes.
Lipeles's health was at risk during the concert
The lawsuit further says, "Madonna's actions were intentional, extreme and outrageous," and "such actions were done with the intent to cause serious emotional distress or with reckless disregard of the probability of causing ... serious emotional distress." Lipeles, who had reportedly bought four tickets at $500 each (over ₹40,000 each), was "profusely sweating and became physically ill as a result of the heat."
Venues and explicit content also named in lawsuit
The lawsuit also implicates several venues, including Forum Entertainment, Kia Forum, Acrisure Arena, the Golden 1 Center, and Chase Center. The complaint has alleged that concertgoers were "forced to watch topless women" simulate sexual acts onstage without prior warning whatsoever. This act is described as subjecting fans to "pornography without warning," adding another layer of controversy. The said event took place on March 7.
Plaintiff seeking damages for multiple alleged breaches
The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages for a variety of alleged breaches. These include breach of written contract, false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, emotional distress, and unfair competition. This legal action marks another challenge for Madonna's Celebration Tour, which was previously sued on similar allegations of "false advertising," related to late concert start times at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in New York.
Madonna's legal team's response to the allegations
In response to the old allegations, the singer's legal team filed a motion to dismiss these claims. They argued that no reasonable concertgoer would expect the headline act to begin at the scheduled time. The defense stated, "Nowhere did defendants advertise that Madonna would take the stage at 8:30pm," suggesting it is a norm for the opening acts to perform before the main act.
