NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Two New York City men filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Madonna and the businesses involved in putting on the pop stars’ December 2023 concerts at Barclays Center, complaining that the concert was delayed by months and she graced the stage over two hours later than advertised.
Michael Fellows, of Brooklyn, and Jonathan Hadden, of the Bronx, are the plaintiffs in the case against Madonna, Live Nation and Barclays Center, stating that they are two customers within a class of affected consumers, according to the lawsuit obtained by 1010 WINS/WCBS 880.
Fellows and Hadden bought tickets for Madonna’s North American “Celebration Tour,” which was advertised to launch in July 2023 in Brooklyn, for $155.90 each. However, the first of three concerts at the venue actually occurred on Dec. 13, after it was rescheduled due to Madonna being ill.
The concert tickets said the show on Dec. 13 would begin at 8:30 p.m., but on that night, which Fellows and Hadden attended, Madonna didn't make it to the stage until after 10:45 p.m.
At the other two Barclays Center shows, she also came out over two hours early. The late starts resulted in attendees leaving after 1 a.m.
The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn federal court, seeks class action status because the men believe other “Celebration Tour” concerts began similarly late, including her shows in Boston and Washington, D.C.
Madonna has a history of tardiness at shows, the lawsuit alleges, citing both her 2016 Rebel Heart Tour and 2019-2020 Madame X tour, where the plantiffs argue Madonna was continuously over two hours late.
The plantiffs accuse the defendants of breaching their contracts with class members, as well as false advertising, negligent misrepresentation and unfair and deceptive trade practices.
Fellows and Hadden say that they were “confronted with limited public transportation, limited ride-sharing, and/or increased public and private transportation costs at that late hour,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also points out that many of the concertgoers had to go to work or take care of family responsibilities the next day, as it was a weekday.
“Based on the years-long history of Madonna arriving several hours late to prior concerts … Plantiffs knew or should have known that the Concerts would not start at 8:30 p.m., and that Madonna would not take the stage until several hours after the start time, causing Plantiffs and all Class Members to have to wait several hours,” the lawsuit read.
1010 WINS/WCBS 880 reached out to Fellows and Hadden, who are not speaking to the media. Their attorney is not available until next week.
Representatives for Madonna, Live Nation and Barclays Center did not immediately respond to 1010 WINS/WCBS 880’s request for comment