28 June,2011 07:20 AM IST | | Agencies
Lady Gaga is being sued for more than ufffd3 million (Rs 21.53 crore) after being accused of pocketing funds raised for Japanese earthquake survivors.
The Poker Face singer has been selling We Pray For Japan wristbands for ufffd3.10 (Rs 220) plus ufffd2.49 (Rs 180) for shipping.
But she allegedly ripped off fans by not giving all proceeds to the victims of the March catastrophe.
Lady Gaga posing right before her live show in Japan
A law firm based in Detroit has filed a suit against the singer hours before she headlined a gig in aid of Japan at the weekend.
Lawyers at 1-800-LAW-FIRM claim she inflated the costs of the wristbands and took the extra cash. They also say the singer refused to say how much from the accessory actually goes to the victims.
Alyson Oliver, who filed the suit at a federal court, added, "When you use your celebrity and your power as a musician to take money from people under false pretenses, that's just wrong.
When we tried to communicate with the defendants in this lawsuit, all we got was: 'Well, some of the money is being retained, but we don't really know how much.'"
He added, "If the money was going to the right place rather than into the defendant's pocket, then I hope that our effort helps that."
Colleague Ari Kresh added, "I'm suing Lady Gaga simply to hold her accountable for giving the money that she was raising for charity to the cause that she was trying to raise it for."
The singer has yet to respond to the suit.
