Madonna Vows She Will ‘Vigorously’ Defend Herself After Being Sued for Starting a Concert Late
Madonna is ready to fight back after two fans sued her for starting a recent concert over two hours late.
"The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of a technical issue Dec. 13 during soundcheck," Live Nation and Madonna’s longtime manager, Guy Oseary, said in a statement on Wednesday, January 24, according to CNN. “This caused a delay that was well documented in press reports at the time. We intend to defend this case vigorously.”
Last week, Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden filed a lawsuit after attending the December 13, 2023, stop on Madonna’s Celebration Tour at Barclays Center in New York City. In their court filing, they stated that the show was advertised to begin at 8:30 p.m., but they did not see the singer take the stage until "between 10:45 p.m. and 11:00 p.m." The two men accused the “Vogue” singer, 65, promoter Live Nation and the venue of "unconscionable, unfair and/or deceptive trade practices" by listing 8:30 p.m. as the start time.
The pair also complained about the delayed show ending around 1 a.m., causing them to encounter issues with "limited public transportation, limited ride-sharing and/or increased public and private transportation costs."
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According to Fellows and Hadden’s lawsuit, Madonna has a "long history of arriving and starting her concerts late,” with the duo citing her 2016 Rebel Heart Tour and the 2019-2020 Madame X Tour as examples. They claim Madonna is facilitating an “exercise in false advertising" and "negligent misrepresentation."
They are seeking "damages, statutory damages, treble damages, exemplary damages, costs and attorneys’ fees" as well as a trial by jury.
The View cohost Joy Behar was among those who criticized the Material Girl for the late start.
"I personally wouldn't wait two hours to get a hot oil massage from George Clooney, much less a concert by anybody," she said earlier this month.
Madonna has faced similar lawsuits before. During her 2019 Madame X Tour, she was sued multiple times for starting concerts late.
Florida man Nate Hollander sued Madonna and Live Nation in November 2019, alleging that a concert started two hours later than originally planned, thus making it too late for him to attend. He dismissed the suit just one month later.
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In February 2020, Andrew Panos and Antonio Velotta sued Live Nation, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Madonna, claiming the pop star didn't start her two shows at the venue until more than two hours after the listed start time on the tickets. They reached an unspecified settlement in July 2020, and the lawsuit was dismissed.
The Celebration Tour was originally scheduled to kick off in July 2023, but it was pushed back after Madonna was hospitalized one month prior for a bacterial infection.
The tour eventually began in London on October 14, 2023. The Brooklyn concert that prompted the new lawsuit was the first show on the North American leg, which continues through April 26 in Mexico City.
Madonna celebrated the 18th birthday of her daughter Mercy James at her Monday, January 22, concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The following night, she brought Amy Schumer on stage. The comedian, 42, posted a video via Instagram, and in recognition of the lawsuit, joked that the concert “STARTED ON TIME AS HELL.”
"Bowing down to this Goddess who shaped so many of us. She’s in our DNA," Schumer wrote alongside her post. "This @madonna tour is the most Epic show of my life. Grab your best friends and remember who you really are. YOU CANNOT MISS THIS SHOW!!"
