Pop sensation Madonna is facing legal action from a concert-goer at her Celebration World Tour, who alleges that explicit content was shown without warning during her performance.
Justen Lipeles filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Wednesday accusing Madonna of showing “pornography without warning” during her March 7 concert at the Kia Forum venue in the city. The lawsuit names Madonna and Live Nation, the concert’s promoter, as defendants.
He claimed that he was “forced to watch topless women on stage simulating sex acts” without being warned about the nature of the performance, The Guardian reported. Mr Lipeles, who purchased four tickets priced at $500 (around Rs 41,718) each, also claims that the concert, which was supposed to start at 8:30 pm, actually began at 10 pm, without any prior notice.
He claimed that the temperature inside the venue, the Kia Forum, was “uncomfortably hot” because Madonna reportedly “refused to allow the air conditioning to be turned on”.
Mr Lipeles claimed that he began “sweating profusely” and even became “physically ill” due to the heat. When other fans complained about the uncomfortable conditions, Madonna “told them to take their clothes off”, which was dubbed “unreasonable” by Mr Lipeles.
Justen Lipeles’ lawsuit goes into further detail, alleging that during most of the performance, it was evident that Madonna was lip-syncing, which contradicted the expectations of a live concert experience.
The lawsuit talks about multiple legal grounds including breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, unfair competition, false advertising and emotional distress. It states that Madonna’s actions, particularly her alleged instruction for fans to undress and the presentation of explicit content without warning, were “intentional, extreme, and outrageous”, which caused emotional distress to Mr Lipeles and other attendees.
Justen Lipeles is now seeking compensatory damages, along with a sum to cover his legal expenses and a refund for the concert tickets.
