Fans sue Madonna for displaying topless dancers at concert, the latest in court battles against singer
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Fans have taken a class action lawsuit against pop star Madonna for subjecting them to “pornography without warning” at her March 7 show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles during her recent “Celebration” tour.
Justen Lipeles, who filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, is reportedly accusing both Madonna and her concert organizers of false advertising and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges, according to Huffington Post, quoting Entertainment Weekly.
Lipeles claims he was unaware there would be “topless women on stage simulating sex acts” at the concert, and alleged Madonna had the air conditioning turned off throughout the venue, creating temperatures that made him physically ill.
“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,” argued the suit, which was first reported by entertainment site The Blast.
The singer had also been sued last December for “unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices” by two fans who attended her December concert in New York, who claimed the show kicked off two hours behind schedule.
Madonna’s team reportedly blamed technical issues for that delay, but Lipeles accused her of the same tardiness in the latest complaint.
Her legal team tried to dismiss the case and said they’d “vigorously” defend her.
In their motion to dismiss that case, Madonna’s lawyers wrote that “no reasonable concertgoer — and certainly no Madonna fan — would expect the headline act at a major arena concert to take the stage at the ticketed event time.”
A litany of lawsuits over “purposely and deceptively” marketing tour
Fans have complained of the singer’s lateness before.
Madonna was reportedly also sued as early as 2019 by an attendee of her “Madame X” tour concert in Florida, who accused her of postponing the show by two hours.
Fox News reports a group of fans sued Madonna for “purposely and deceptively” marketing “The Celebration Tour.”
The lawsuit claims Madonna, along with her promoters, “lulled” concertgoers into purchasing “expensive tickets” for a concert atmosphere they did not get to experience.
Madonna had topless women dancing on stage while she sang, “subjecting [the fans] to pornography without warning,” according to the court documents.
The lawsuit also alleges the concertgoers experienced a “hot and uncomfortable temperature” while Madonna “would lip sync” her performances.
“Forcing consumer to wait hours in hot, uncomfortable arenas and subjecting them to pornography without warning is demonstrative of Madonna’s flippant disrespect for her fans,” court documents argued.
The “Material Girl” singer has been sued a handful of times, specifically for starting her concerts later than advertised. Madonna routinely seems to take the stage after 10 p.m., although tickets to “The Celebration Tour” note the concert begins at 8 p.m.
A group of fans who attended the pop star’s Washington, D.C., concerts on April 18 and 19 sued Madonna for “wanton exercise in false advertising, intentional and negligent misrepresentation and unfair and deceptive trade practices,” according to the complaint.
She was previously sued in New York by Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden for “unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices” after starting the Brooklyn stop of her “Celebration Tour” late.
“Madonna had demonstrated flippant difficulty in ensuring a timely or complete performance, and Defendants were aware that any statement as to a start time for a show constituted, at best, optimistic speculation,” the lawsuit alleged.
Madonna’s legal team has since filed a motion to dismiss the New York class action suit.
In a court filing obtained by Fox News Digital, Madonna’s lawyers argued the plaintiffs’ claims of having to “get up early to go to work” after the concert ended after 1 a.m. is not an “injury” worthy of damages.
“Plaintiffs speculate that ticketholders who left the venue after 1 a.m. might have had trouble getting a ride home or might have needed to wake up early the next day for work,” Madonna’s dismissal motion stated. “That is not a cognizable injury.”
Madonna’s “Celebration Tour,” which also marked her 40-year anniversary in the entertainment industry, was postponed in July 2023 after she suffered a “serious bacterial infection” that required an ICU stay in June.
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