Last week (January 17) a pair of fans sued Madonna after they alleged she started her concerts at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center two hours late. The angry fans sued the pop icon for breach of contract, false advertisement, and a laundry list of other claims. Yesterday (January 24), the singer’s legal team released a statement regarding the suit.
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Billboard reports that Madonna’s management and Live Nation, a co-defendant in the suit responded in a joint statement. “The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of technical issues December 13 during soundcheck,” the statement read. “This caused a delay that was well documented in press reports at the time. We intend to defend this case vigorously.”
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The Lawsuit Against Madonna and Live Nation
Attorneys for Jonathan Hadden and Michael Fellows filed the suit against Madonna and Live Nation in federal court in Brooklyn last Wednesday (January 17). The suit alleges that the pop icon started her shows at the Barclays Center—two hours late on December 13, 14, and 16. The listed start time for the shows was 8:30 p.m. However, the suit alleges that they didn’t start until after 10:30. As a result, the concerts didn’t end until after 1 in the morning.
[RELATED: Madonna Being Sued by Fans After Starting Brooklyn Concerts Two Hours Late]
Attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote, “Defendants’ actions constitute not just a breach of their contracts … but also a wanton exercise in false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices.”
According to the lawsuit, the concerts’ late end times caused the plaintiffs to face limited public transportation options and higher-than-normal rideshare prices due to the hour. Additionally, the plaintiffs claim that they had to work the day after the concerts. Being out so late caused difficulty for them in that regard.
The suit also states that Madonna and Live Nation could have known that the shows would start later than planned. Attorneys state that the singer “Has a long history of arriving and starting her concerts late. Sometimes several hours late.” It claims that concert organizers should have warned ticketholders that the singer would likely start shows late.
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