Madonna sued for unwanted exposure to sexual content at California concert

Madonna has been hit with another lawsuit over her Celebration tour, this time involving allegations of unwanted exposure to sexual content and infliction of emotional distress, among other claims.

In a complaint filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, which Entertainment Weekly has reviewed, concert attendee Justen Lipeles accuses the pop star and organizers involved in her Celebration tour of negligent misrepresentation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false advertising, and breach of written contract during her March 7 concert at L.A.’s Kia Forum.

Lipeles alleges that attendees were subjected to “pornography without warning,” including “topless women on stage simulating sex acts” in an uncomfortable, sweltering environment. He claims that Madonna demanded the air conditioning be turned off and he became physically ill in the heat.

Lipeles also cites Madonna’s tardiness, a complaint at the center of various other lawsuits filed against the singer in recent years. Lipeles alleges that she took the stage after 10 p.m., when the show was marketed with an 8:30 p.m. start time.

“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’ complaint says, claiming that when Madonna at last appeared on stage, she lip-synched even though attendees had paid for a live performance.

Representatives for Madonna didn’t immediately respond to EW’s request for comment Thursday.

Lipeles’ lawsuit comes on the heels of a similar suit filed on behalf of New York attendees Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden earlier this year, in which they accused Madonna of “unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices” over her 10:30 p.m. start time when the show was marketed for 8:30 p.m. In response, Madonna’s team cited technical issues for the delay, adding that they “intend to defend this case vigorously.”

The pop star’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit last month, writing that “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.”

Prior to the lawsuit in New York, Florida concert attendee Nate Hollander filed a similar complaint in 2019 over Madonna’s tardiness during her Madame X tour. Hollander voluntarily dismissed the suit a month after filing.

The Blast first reported the news of Lipeles’ lawsuit.