A fan of Madonna has sued the 65-year-old Queen of Pop for being tricked into buying tickets for a concert that he says had displays of ‘pornography without warning.’
Justen Lipeles was the angry spectator who filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of the other attendees of one Madonna’s Celebration Tour shows in Inglewood, California.
He claims that the March 7 concert at the Kia Forum started over an hour and a half late and that the venue was blisteringly hot because Madonna allegedly demanded the air conditioning be turned off, The Blast reported.
Lipeles notes in the suit that he and other fans were sweating profusely and becoming physically ill due to the heat, but this apparently didn’t faze Madonna, who allegedly told crowd to take their clothes off if they were hot.
Then the lawsuit takes aim at Madonna’s raunchy onstage presence that night. Lipeles claims he and fellow concertgoers were ‘forced to watch topless women on stage simulating sex acts.’
Pictured: Madonna performing at her Celebration Tour in New York in December 2023 alongside a backup dancer meant to represent a younger version of herself
Madonna performs on the first night of her ‘Celebration Tour’ at the O2 Arena in London, showing off an sexually explicate display
‘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,’ Lipeles argued, adding that he felt like he was watching a pornographic film in action.
This isn’t the first time Madonna is being sued for late start times to her concerts.
Madonna is facing two class action lawsuits over her consistent tardiness, with both sets of plaintiffs alleging that the star was hours late for her scheduled performances.
Those lawsuits, similar to Lipeles’ suit, attack her for her ‘total disrespect’ and her tendency to lip-synch during much of the show.
Madonna filed a motion to dismiss one of these complaints in April, arguing that it was illogical for fans to expect her to start on time.
Fans cheer as US pop star Madonna performs during a free concert at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 4, 2024
Madonna performs at the Kia Forum Stadium in Los Angeles on the Celebration Tour. This is the same arena Lipeles was at during the concert he’s suing her for
‘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,’ the filing said.
Lipeles lawsuit differs from the others Madonna has racked up over the course of her 12th concert tour in the fact that he’s taking her to court over her R-rated escapades.
The only trouble is, Madonna is internationally known for her less-than-chaste performances.
In early May, she recreated a kiss she shared with Britney Spears 20 years ago with a backup dancer on her Celebration Tour.
And roughly a day prior to her that make out session, she flashed a glimpse of her underwear on stage.
At yet another concert, Madonna, wearing lingerie and later a racy nun’s outfit, put on a very sultry show alongside a dancer representing her younger self.
Madonna has attacked fans who have sued her for being late to her own concerts, claiming that its illogical for them to expect her to start on time.
None of this dissuaded Lipeles from suing her for her supposed sexually-charged performance on March 7.
He slammed Madonna and Ticketmaster parent Live Nation for six offenses – breach of written contract, negligent misrepresentation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false advertising, negligence/negligent infliction of emotional distress, and unfair competition, according to The Blast.
Lipeles is demanding a jury trial for this matter, arguing that the plaintiffs are entitled to compensatory damages. This includes Madonna disgorging all the money she made off the concert or a refund of the tickets.
Despite this most recent legal bump in the road, Madonna recently became the only woman ever to have six tours that grossed over $100 million each at the box office, joining the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and The Eagles.
Madonna has also reportedly sparked up a new romance with British boxer Richard Riakprohe, just days after she ended her year-long romance with Josh Popper.
