Lady Gaga sued over earthquake relief work
Lady Gaga poses with a "We pray for Japan" wrist band during a press conference to promote MTV Video Music Aid Japan in Tokyo. Lady Gaga is in Japan to attend the MTV event to help support people in the tsunami-hit northeastern Japan. (June 23, 2011) Credit: AP
A national attorney network has filed a class-action lawsuit against Lady Gaga, claiming that the pop star's organization skimmed money from benefit proceeds earmarked for Japanese earthquake relief efforts.
The suit by 1-800-LAW-FIRM, filed in a federal-district court in Michigan, alleges that after claiming on her web store that "all proceeds" from the $5 Lady Gaga Japan Earthquake Relief Wristbands "go directly to Japan relief efforts," Gaga's organization kept part of each transaction, overcharged on shipping costs and kept the difference, levied taxes that were not required and kept those monies, and inflated reports of total donations.
Lady Gaga's spokeswoman told Newsday she would issue a statement Tuesday. A representative for the star's label, Interscope Records, could not be reached for comment. Interscope has said that Lady Gaga has so far donated $3 million for people in the devastated coastal regions, including both revenue from the wristband and her personal contributions.
On Saturday night, Lady Gaga performed at the benefit concert MTV Video Music Aid Japan, tweeting that day, "So honored performing in Tokyo for Japan Aid."
As of Monday, the law firm changed its Twitter hashtag from the accusatory #Gagascam to the neutral #Gagalawsuit, doing so "in response to the comments we were seeing online," the firm said on its website.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
