Madonna blocks sale of 'stolen' personal items at auction
"Queen of Pop" claims that many of the items were stolen from her house. Photo courtesy: The Mirror
(Web Desk) - Famous American singer and songwriter Madonna recently halted an auction of her personal items after she claimed that her privacy was being violated.
According to BBC, the incident occurred after New York Justice Gerald Lebovits accepted Madonna’s plea that the selling of the items, which include the singer’s chequebook, hairbrush, photos and a break-up letter from the late rapper Tupac Shakur, would be an invasion of her privacy and halted the auction house - Gotta Have Rock and Roll, from holding a sale. A full hearing of the case is set for 6 September.
Madonna has claimed in court documents that she only learned from press reports that many of the items presented for auction were no longer in her possession. She has also accused Darlene Lutz, a New York art dealer, of stealing the items when she helped Madonna pack up a house in Miami.
However, while many of the items for sale had indeed been presented by Lutz, a spokesperson for her and the auction house said that Madonna’s actions were "completely baseless" attempts to halt the sale. The spokesperson also vowed to fight all of the singer’s allegations in court.
One of the most sought after items in the auction was to be Tupac Shakur’s letter to Madonna, in which the late rapper explains to Madonna why he broke up with her because of her race. The letter, which is dated 15 January 1995, was penned 18 months before Tupac was shot dead in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas. It was expected to fetch as much as $400,000 if it had been allowed to go on sale.
Tupac’s letter was expected to be a highly valuable item. Photo courtesy: BBC
Madonna is one of the most famous American singers to ever exist and is still regarded as a major influence in the music industry.
