Madonna filed an emergency court order in New York City on Tuesday to block the auctioning of 22 personal items she alleges were lifted from her private residency. The stash includes, most famously, a letter from Tupac Shakur that’s expected to fetch $400,000, but the entire catalog reads like the trophies of a seasoned stalker: a pair of dirty underwear, a hairbrush with strands of Madonna’s hair still on the bristles, and more letters from ex-boyfriends.
The singer, understandably isn’t pulling any punches. Page Six reported that Madonna stated in court papers, “I understand that my DNA could be extracted from a piece of my hair. It is outrageous and grossly offensive that my DNA could be auctioned for sale to the general public.”
Madonna suggested that an ex-friend and art consultant named Darlene Lutz may have stolen the items from her home as she “would have had access to these items on numerous occasions” when the star was not home.
A spokesperson for the auction site, Gotta Have It! Collectibles, responded to Madonna’ court order in a statement to TMZ:
“Madonna and her legal army have taken what we believe to be a completely baseless and meritless action to temporarily halt the sale of Ms. Lutz’s legal property. We believe that her intent is nothing more than to besmirch the good reputations of the auction house and Ms. Lutz. Madonna’s allegations will be vigorously challenged and refuted in a court of law in due course.”
In her suite, the singer pleads, “The fact that I have attained celebrity status as a result of success in my career does not obviate my right to maintain my privacy, including with regard to highly personal items.”
Thank you, medics, for helping an ageless Ryan Phillippe deal with his freak accident. Shooters’ production schedule will only be slightly impacted and the leg is healing up nicely.
[Deadline]
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