A federal class-action lawsuit has been filed in Washington D.C. against Madonna and promoter Live Nation, accusing the iconic singer of keeping concertgoers waiting for hours past the advertised start times during her recent D.C. stops on the Celebration Tour.
The suit, obtained by Rolling Stone, was brought by three fans – Elizabeth Halper-Asefi, Mary Conoboy, and Nestor Monte, Jr. They claim their tickets listed an 8:30 p.m. start time, but Madonna didn’t take the stage until around 10:30 p.m. at each of her December concerts in the nation’s capital.
“Defendants failed to provide any notice…that the Concerts would start much later than the…advertised [time], which resulted in the ticketholders waiting for hours,” the complaint states.
It alleges this forced some fans to leave early before the shows ended due to factors like babysitter scheduling and securing transportation.
The plaintiffs, who spent hundreds to over $900 on tickets, are seeking damages. They accuse Madonna of “arrogant and total disrespect” for audiences by arriving extremely late, allegedly maintaining uncomfortably hot venue temperatures, and lip-syncing portions – claims the “Material Girl” has not directly responded to.
However, the filing cites Madonna purportedly telling the crowd on Dec. 18: “I am sorry I am late…no, I am not sorry, it’s who I am…I’m always late.”
While admitting Madonna has developed a reputation for tardiness over decades of touring, the suit argues “not all people…know this” and no one could anticipate just how late she’d arrive each night.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer says “this Complaint is not about unhappy fans who don’t want to stay up late, but instead, reasonable, responsible people who had commitments” impacted by the excessive delays.
This is the latest lawsuit accusing Madonna of chronic lateness following similar cases after concerts in Brooklyn and Miami in recent years. Live Nation has not commented, but previously stated “a technical issue” caused a delay at one 2022 Brooklyn show they “intend to defend…vigorously.”