By Hayden Wright
Madonna has filed court documents to halt the auction of very personal memorabilia: Contents of a private letter she received from Tupac Shakur hit the media this month, and Gotta Have It! Collectibles also plans to sell a pair of “used underwear” and a used brush with strands of her hair.
Related: Read Tupac’s Breakup Letter to Madonna
The items were supplied by art consultant Darlene Luz whom Madonna describes as a “former friend” who “would have had access to these items on numerous occasions” when she was a “frequent overnight guest” in the Queen of Pop’s house while she was out of town. The suit suggests the items were taken without permission.
“I was shocked to learn of the planned auctioning of the Shakur letter, as I had no idea that the Shakur letter was no longer in my possession,” said Madonna in the documents. The letter is expected to fetch $400,000.
In the filing, Madonna expressed palpable disgust at the thought of someone selling (and buying) her used personal items.
“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,” she said.
A spokesman for Gotta Have It! Collectibles slammed Madonna’s legal action 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,” the company wrote. “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.”
Nevertheless, Madonna feels the invasion of privacy should be stopped by any means necessary.
“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,” she said.
