Madonna Gets Emergency Court Order
Madonna has convinced a New York state judge to put an immediate, although temporary, stop to the sale of a number of her personal items. Earlier this month, Gotta Have It! Collectibles placed 128 items belonging to the 58-year-old singer up for auction.
Madonna targeted 22 of these in her court order, pointing out their extremely personal nature: a pair of worn satin panties; a hairbrush with her hair still in it; and a letter written in 1995 from former boyfriend, late rapper Tupac Shakur, discussing their break-up.
Madonna says that she was “shocked to learn” of the auction, because she thought that this letter was still in her possession. She has accused her former friend, art consultant and frequent overnight guest, Darlene Lutz, of stealing these personal items.
Lutz and Madonna had a falling out back in 2004, which led to legal action and a confidential settlement.
Lutz has hit back at Madonna, claiming that Madonna agreed never to sue Lutz again after their 2004 settlement, and that if she wanted her panties to be private, she shouldn’t have mailed them to a former boyfriend.
Gotta Have It! Collectibles has called Madonna’s claims “completely baseless and meritless,” and will have their opportunity to explain this to the judge on 6 September.
Shakur wrote his letter from jail, while serving a sentence for sexual assault, and apologised for hurting Madonna. He explained that dating a white woman could hurt his career.
Shakur was murdered just a year later in a drive-by shooting. He was 25 years old.
