May 31
Madonna's 'Celebrations' Tour Hit with Lawsuit Alleging 'Pornography,' 'Emotional Distress'
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
After being sued a couple of times already by concertgoers over late start times, Madge is again facing litigation – and this time the complaint alleges "pornography" that caused "emotional distress."
"In a complaint filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, which Entertainment Weekly has reviewed, concert attendee Justen Lipeles accuses the pop star and organizers involved in her Celebration tour of negligent misrepresentation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false advertising, and breach of written contract during her March 7 concert at L.A.'s Kia Forum," EW reported.
The suit, EW relayed, accuses the "Like a Prayer" singer of "'pornography without warning,' including 'topless women on stage simulating sex acts,'" as well as claiming that the songstress was responsible for the venue being too hot, resulting in Lipeles becoming sick.
"Lipeles also cites Madonna's tardiness," EW added, "a complaint at the center of various other lawsuits filed against the singer in recent years."
"Lipeles alleges that she took the stage after 10 p.m., when the show was marketed with an 8:30 p.m. start time," the entertainment news outlet added.
The complaint reads, in part, "Forcing consumers to wait hours in hot, uncomfortable arenas and subjecting them to pornography without warning is demonstrative of Madonna's flippant disrespect for her fans," EW detailed.
This is at least the third suit aimed at the Queen of Pop that cites late concert start times. As previously reported, a pair of plaintiffs, Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden filed a suit in January alleging "unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices" because a New York performance of the show started more than two hours after its advertised 8:30 p.m. time.
Madonna's lawyers fired back that "a reasonable concertgoer would understand that the venue's doors will open at or before the ticketed time, one or more opening acts may perform while attendees arrive and make their way to their seats and before the headline act takes the stage, and the headline act will take the stage later in the evening."
A 2019 lawsuit leveled similar complaints of tardiness at the Material Girl.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
