Two Madonna fans are suing the megastar for damages over concerts in New York that started two hours late, accusing her of "flippant difficulty," court documents show.

Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden are suing Madonna as well as touring giant LiveNation and New York venue the Barclays Center for an unspecified amount over late starts of her "Celebration Tour" gigs in December 2023.

"The concerts at the Barclays Center were advertised to start at 8:30 pm, but Madonna did not take the stage until after 10:30 pm on all three nights, with most concert attendees leaving the Barclays Center after 1:00 a.m," read the court documents obtained Friday.

"Madonna had demonstrated flippant difficulty in ensuring a timely or complete performance... (that) resulted in the ticketholders waiting for hours for the Concerts to begin. 

"Others were left stranded in the middle of the night because they missed their arranged ride home or public transportation."

The complaint, filed in a Brooklyn federal court Wednesday, alleges that "Madonna has a long history of arriving and starting her concerts late, sometimes several hours late."

The Barclays Center, LiveNation and a representative for Madonna did not respond to requests for comment.

Madonna was admitted to hospital in June 2023 with a bacterial infection that saw her treated in an intensive care unit.

The illness required Madonna to postpone her near sell out, 84-date "Celebration" tour that was due to start July 15, forcing the delay of the New York dates at the center of the litigation to December.

The Grammy-winning icon behind classics including "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl" has asserted incalculable influence as one of music's top stars.

In 2020 she underwent hip replacement surgery following an injury sustained on her "Madame X" tour.

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© Agence France-Presse