2 New York City men sue pop superstar Madonna for starting Brooklyn concert late
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Two New York City men are suing pop superstar Madonna for starting her show late because they had to get up early the next day.
Michael Fellows of Brooklyn and Jonathan Hadden of the Bronx bought tickets for Madonna's December 13 "Celebration Tour" concert at Barclays Center.
The tickets said the show would begin at 8:30 p.m., but Madonna did not take the stage until sometime after 10:45 p.m., and the men said they were "confronted with limited public transportation, limited ride-sharing, and/or increased public and private transportation costs" by the time the show let out at 1 a.m.
Perhaps encouraged by Madonna's urging to express yourself, Fellows and Hadden also complained the concert was no holiday because "they had to get up early to go to work and/or take care of their family responsibilities the next day."
They're suing Madonna, Live Nation and Barclays Center for "unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices" for offering to the public concerts that were promised to begin at 8:30 p.m. knowing that Madonna would not begin performing at the advertised start time.
"Madonna had demonstrated flippant difficulty in ensuring a timely or complete performance, and Defendants were aware that any statement as to a start time for a show constituted, at best, optimistic speculation," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn federal court, seeks class action status because the men said it is their belief other "Celebration Tour" concerts began similarly late.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
"Based on the years-long history of Madonna arriving several hours late to prior concerts (and which conduct continued at concerts in other cities after the Concerts at the Barclays Center, including concerts in Washington, D.C. and Boston), Plaintiffs 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 Plaintiffs and all Class Members to have to wait several hours," the lawsuit said.
ALSO READ | Emmy-nominated stars Elle Fanning, Sarah Paulson wow in 'Appropriate' on Broadway
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
