Lady Gaga sued over charity bracelets

Singer is accused of pocketing Japan’s earthquake relief wristbands’ proceeds.


Reuters June 28, 2011

LOS ANGELES:


Pop superstar Lady Gaga has been sued over sales of her wristbands for Japan’s earthquake relief efforts in a class action — a form of collective lawsuit — which claims that not all the proceeds went to victims as she had promised.


Michigan’s legal network 1-800-LAW-FIRM also alleges that Gaga (real name Stefani Germonatta) and the companies involved in the marketing and sale of the $5 white-and-red “We Pray for Japan” wristbands overcharged buyers on shipping costs and artificially inflated reports of total donations.

“While we commend Lady Gaga for her philanthropic efforts, we want to ensure that claims alleging that all proceeds will be donated to Japan’s earthquake, are true,” said Alyson Oliver, an attorney for 1-800-LAW-FIRM. “Our intention is to uncover any improprieties committed by Gaga and appropriate the full donations assumed to the victims in Japan.”

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Gaga and her representatives did not return calls for comments. The lawsuit was filed in Michigan on Friday while the “Born This Way” singer was in Japan for a benefit concert for victims of the earthquake and tsunami that wreaked havoc in the country in March.

Gaga, who was last month named the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes magazine, is reported to have donated about $3 million to Japan’s disaster relief through the sales of wristbands and other ventures. The official website for the singer’s store, however, has several comments from frustrated fans complaining about long delivery times and shipping and handling costs of more than $5 for the small rubber wristbands.

The lawsuit also claims that a slew of federal racketeering and consumer protection laws were broken by deceptive advertising and profits from the sale of the bracelets.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2011.

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