The pop icon blamed a technical issue for the delay
Madonna made headlines for all the wrong reasons last week when it was revealed that two of her fans were taking legal action against her.
The reason? The Queen of Pop allegedly turned up late for one of the New York shows on her 'Celebration' Greatest Hits tour last December - and they weren't happy with the delay.
The first show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn reportedly started two hours after the advertised 8.30pm time on the ticket, angering Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden as the delay "left [them] stranded in the middle of the night", resulting in "limited public transportation, limited ride-sharing, and/or increased public and private transportation costs", according to the lawsuit. The fact that the show ended at 1am was problematic as they "had to get up early to go to work and/or take care of their family responsibilities the next day."
Promoters Live Nation and the Barclays Center are also named in the suit, alongside the music legend. The following day's show at the same venue also began late at 10pm.
Now, Madonna has responded to the suit via her management, with a statement that read: "The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of a technical issue Dec. 13 during soundcheck. This caused a delay that was well documented in press reports at the time. We intend to defend this case vigorously."
Many have speculated that the lawsuit could have wide-reaching implications, depending on who it ultimately favours - such as artists being given a 'grace period' for their tardiness before they are liable for legal action for 'misrepresentation'.