“We intend to defend this case vigorously,” singer and Live Nation said, adding that delay was caused by production issues
Madonna and Live Nation have finally responded to the frivolous lawsuit filed by two fans who were upset that one of her Celebration shows started over two hours late.
In the lawsuit, concertgoers Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden accused the singer and the concert giant of “false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices” after Madonna’s concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on December 13, 2023, began after 10:30 p.m. instead of the advertised 8:30 p.m. start time.
The delay, in their legal opinion, served as a breach of the ticket-buying contract between Madonna and the concertgoers who “had to get up early to go to work,” the lawsuit stated. The situation was exacerbated, they added, because the late finish meant “limited public transportation” and surge pricing on ride-sharing apps.
Despite the lawsuit being ridiculous, Madonna and Live Nation finally got around to issuing a statement about it Wednesday, nearly a week after it was filed.
“The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of a technical issue December 13th during soundcheck,” the statement said. “This caused a delay that was well documented in press reports at the time. We intend to defend this case vigorously.”
This isn’t the first time Madonna has been sued over later-than-expected start times, as a different “fan” similarly filed a lawsuit in 2019 after a Madame X show in Miami began hours after its original start time; the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.