Keith Girard
Madonna says personal items, including her panties are being auctioned without her permission and has won a temporary order blocking the sale. (Photo: Getty)
Who the hell has been in Madonna’s closet and how did personal things, like soiled panties, end up in an auction? Madonna wants to know herself. She’s won a court order blocking the “outrageous and grossly offensive” sale of her “deeply personal” items.
The 58-year-old singer had sought an emergency court order, preventing Gotta Have It! Collectibles, from putting the items up for auction.
So, just what items were heading for the auction block?
Well, they included, ahem, previously-worn and slightly soiled panties, a love letter from late rapper Tupac Shakur, a hairbrush containing her hair and other items.
The Tupac letter alone was expected to fetch as much as $400,000. No price estimate was available on her panties.
Beside the personal nature of the items, Madonna cited scientific reasons for halting the sale. She is afraid someone could extract her DNA from the personal items, according to The New York Post’s “Page Six.”
“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,” court papers state.
“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,” they continued.
Madonna said she was “shocked” to learn the Tupac letter was no longer in her possession.
State Supreme Court Judge Gerald Leibovitz in Manhattan sympathized.
He blocked the sale of 22 personal items in all, including other letters, cassette tapes of unreleased recordings and private photos taken at a bachelorette party at her Miami home.
Madonna stated in court papers that a “former friend”, identified as art consultant Darlene Lutz. She “would have had access to these items on numerous occasions.”
Lutz was a “frequent overnight guest” in her homes when she was “not in residence,” Madonna asserted.
Pete Siegel, an auction house rep, told The Post, the order would be appealed.
“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.
“Madonna’s allegations will be vigorously challenged and refuted in a court of law in due course. We are confident that the Madonna memorabilia will be back,” he said.
He’s half right. The parties will be back… in court for another hearing in September.