Madonna’s Brooklyn Concert Lateness Lawsuit Finally Dismissed

Madonna can breathe a sigh of relief at least on one of the lawsuits she is facing from her Celebration Tour. The Queen of Pop’s concert faced an early setback when two concertgoers filed a lawsuit over her lateness at a Brooklyn show. 

Madonna may have won this battle, but the war of her Celebration Tour is still unfolding.

The lawsuit stemmed from delays during Madonna’s Celebration Tour, which kicked off in October 2023.

These delays were partly due to the singer’s recovery from a near-fatal viral infection. The tour concluded on May 4, but not without its share of controversies.

The lawsuit, which had no settlement, was dismissed by the plaintiffs six months later. According to a source, “There was no settlement, and the plaintiffs decided to dismiss the frivolous lawsuit.”

Court documents obtained by ET showed that Fellows and Hadden agreed to a “voluntary dismissal of this action with prejudice, with each party to bear its own fees and costs.” 

The case did not require court approval for dismissal because it was “dismissed on an individual basis” before Fellows and Hadden sought class certification.

This development brings a close to one chapter of the controversies surrounding Madonna’s Celebration Tour.

The lawsuit was filed in January, but Madonna’s legal team did not issue a response until April.

The Blast reported that Madonna’s attorneys argued in documents filed on April 3 in the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York that the plaintiffs had no solid case. 

They dismissed the claims of transportation difficulties as speculative and insufficient grounds for compensation from the actress. The “Material Girl” singer’s legal team stated:

“Plaintiffs speculate that ticket holders 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. That is not a cognizable injury.”

The attorneys emphasized that needing to “get up early to go to work” did not constitute a legal “injury” warranting a lawsuit. 

They also criticized the claims of delays, asserting that concert start and end times can vary and that attendees should be aware of this.

“Reasonable concertgoers also know that concert lengths vary based on numerous factors,” Madonna’s lawyers argued.

Fellows and Hadden alleged that Madonna’s December 13 performance in Brooklyn started two hours behind schedule. 

The pair claimed the delay caused them to wait for hours and deal with limited transportation options and increased fees after the show ended past 1 a.m.

They also argued that Madonna’s tardiness was not an isolated incident, asserting that she had been late to other shows as well.

The lawsuit targeted Madonna, Live Nation, and the Barclays Center for “false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices.”

The plaintiffs sought actual and consequential damages resulting from Madonna’s actions, along with any pre-and post-judgment interest allowed by law.

Fellows and Hadden also requested any other compensation the court deemed appropriate for their case.

In May, a class action lawsuit was filed by Justen Lipeles, representing all California residents who purchased tickets for Madonna’s concerts.

This suit followed the previous case brought by Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden over a late Brooklyn performance. According to legal documents obtained by The Blast, Lipeles accused Madonna and her concert organizers of six offenses:

“breach of written contract, negligent misrepresentation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false advertising, negligence/negligent infliction of emotional distress, and unfair competition.”

One particularly troubling allegation involved Madonna allegedly insisting on turning off the air conditioning. This action allegedly caused fans, including Lipeles, to sweat profusely and even become physically ill due to the heat.

Lipeles’ class action lawsuit filing took a scandalous turn when he noted that after fans complained about discomfort, Madonna dismissed their concerns and allegedly suggested they undress.

The situation escalated further, according to Lipeles, when fans were reportedly subjected to “topless women on stage simulating sex acts.” Lipeles likened the experience to witnessing the production of a pornographic film. In his words:

“Forcing consumers to endure hours in stifling, uncomfortable arenas and exposing them to explicit content without warning demonstrates Madonna’s disregard for her fans.”

Adding to the discontent, Lipeles claimed that attendees felt cheated by Madonna’s alleged lip-synching, which he described as a waste of their money.