Madonna is accused of subjecting audience members to ‘pornography without warning’ during her concert.
Madonna has been hit with another lawsuit just after wrapping her Celebration Tour earlier this month.
Concertgoer Justen Lipeles is suing the 65-year-old singer, along with Live Nation and four California concert venues, according to court documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles and obtained by ET. Lipeles is alleging that Madonna subjected audiences to “pornography without warning,” such as “topless women on stage simulating sex acts” in an uncomfortable, sweltering environment.
He also claims that she demanded the air conditioning be turned off and he became physically ill in the heat.
Additionally, Lipeles claims that Madonna lip-synced her performance and that it began after 10 p.m., more than an hour after the advertised 8:30 p.m. start time. This after Madonna was previously sued over an alleged late start for her show in Brooklyn, New York, earlier this year.
Lipeles is claiming negligent misrepresentation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false advertising, and breach of written contract during Madonna’s Kia Forum stop in Los Angeles, California, on March 7.
In addition to Madonna and Live Nation, Forum Entertainment, Kia Forum, Acrisure Arena, the Golden 1 Center and Chase Center were also named as defendants since Lipeles claims that all of the performer’s California concerts began late.
A representative for Madonna could not be reached for comment. Acrisure Arena also told ET that they have “no comment at this time.”
In a statement to ET, Lipeles’ attorneys at Lipeles Law Group said that the plaintiff had brought his 11-year-old sister to the concert.
“Imagine taking your 11-year-old daughter to a pop concert,” the statement read. “When in the middle of the concert, the women on stage remove their tops and are completely topless. They then begin to act out sexual situations including cunnilingus, and digital penetration amongst other pornographic type situations. This is with absolutely no warning to anyone who is offended by this type of content, and especially those who bring children to the concert.”
The statement continued, “Justen brought his 11-year-old sister, who was shocked. Additionally, for many hours everyone was forced to sit in what felt like a sauna. This was no accident, Madonna insisted that the AC stay off and when people in the crowd complained, she said she is not turning the AC on and if they didn’t like it, they should take their clothes off. People were physically in discomfort and sweating like crazy. In other words, people paid thousands of dollars to sit and suffer while watching live porn, including kids, with no warning.”
Lipeles’ attorneys also noted that they are “in the process of slightly amending the complaint.”
While this is not the first time Madonna has been accused of a late start, her lawyers, Live Nation and Barclays Center have previously said that it is not “reasonable” for concertgoers to predict anticipated show start and end times regardless of what is printed on the event tickets.
“Reasonable concert goers also know that concert lengths vary based on numerous factors,” they stated in a previously-filed document in response to a separate complaint in New York.
Madonna, 65, kicked off her Celebration Tour in October 2023 amid delays as she recovered from a near-fatal viral infection.
She recently took her final bow on May 4 in historic fashion as she broke the record for the largest audience for a standalone concert by any artist at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Madonna’s free show was attended by 1.6 million fans.
