A multi-million dollar online auction for a lot of Madonna's old private journals came to a grinding halt Monday -- thanks to a last minute intervention from Madge's reps. 
The mystery man behind the auction -- who claims he obtained the 12 journals and other Madge memorabilia in a blind auction -- tells TMZ, eBay removed his listing around 10AM Monday morning ... because a rep for the singer was able to convince eBay that "they" were the rightful owners.
A rep from eBay confirmed they did receive a claim from Madonna's camp and have since pulled the auction from their site.
As for the seller, he's still adamant that the stuff belongs to him. He's also pissed because he's expecting to rake in at least $2.5 million from the sale.
So far, no comment from Madonna's camp.
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Saw that coming. What a shame Ebay is so unfair. If those journals and items belonged to me (or anyone else non-famous) and I tried to convince Ebay they were my items, not only would this not have worked, but I doubt I would have even gotten a response from Ebay at all. This man bought and paid for the items fairly. Shame on you Ebay.
#3. The guy may have bought them fair and square, but the chain of custody is a little tainted. Kinda like stolen property. If Madonna's ex assistant had possession by other than legal means, she is entitled to them back. Besides only a skeeve would take a ladies diary and use it to make money, while she is alive, or Madonnas. Is there not also something now called an implied copyright? That would extend to such works as private journals and diaries?
Rumor has it this auction isn't the only thing Madonna has yanked in the 75 years that she's been alive.
I guess it depends on which state you live in, but doesn't the facility have to notify the owner that they're behind in payment and will loose their stuff if they don't make amends. Ignored, then the facility has the right to sell legally. This is going to be interesting to watch how it will play out in court.
Photo copy that **** and publish it before they take it away.
**** this ****! If these journals were abandoned, for lack of payment of rent for the storage unit, then let Madonna suck him off to the tune of 2.5M CASH! If stupid little ****s don't know how to stay current on a contractual obligations; then "**** 'em!" Sell their **** to the highest bidder, even if that means the original owner. I don't think that an original Madonna B.J. is worth as much as the CASH that you could get from selling this **** (but that's only my opinion), maybe her assistant is a better lay or gives awesome B.J's?). Anyhow, buyer of the unit OWNS the contents.....
Get on your knees BITCH! (I don't care which one of you does me).
#3. The guy may have bought them fair and square, but the chain of custody is a little tainted. Kinda like stolen property. If Madonna's ex assistant had possession by other than legal means, she is entitled to them back. Besides only a skeeve would take a ladies diary and use it to make money, while she is alive, or Madonnas. Is there not also something now called an implied copyright? That would extend to such works as private journals and diaries?
Posted at 12:20 AM on May 5, 2010 by Rooster
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Your argument makes no sense. There is no such thing as "kinda like stolen property". There is also no such thing as "tainted chain of custody". The woman that rented the storage facility did not make payment. The storage facility advertised in the paper, as required. The guy bought the contents SITE UNSEEN at auction. He had no idea the items were things that once belonged to Madonna. They are rightfully, legally, and ethically HIS items. He is allowed to keep, sell, burn, or trash those items. There is no gray area here. Sorry but you are wrong.
Also, the part about "had possession by other than legal means" is ridiculous. It belonged to a manager of Madonna's and most of these items are up to 20 years old. She's had 20 years to file a claim saying these things were stolen, but obviously didn't. You can't wait 20 years then say something was stolen.
I disagree Disturbed. The ex-assistant had them... but why? Did she get them as mementos, unlikely. She probably stole them. Receiving stolen property, regardless of the way you get it, is still receiving stolen property. Did Madonna even know they were gone? Were they perhaps to have been destroyed? Regardless it was not her locker & the argument is the same. If they were a nobodies diaries, they would have no value. They do not equate to the same value as a memento like a autograph or photo. A whole passel of workable arguments could be made, each as valid as the rest.
LOL a whole lot better arguments than "You dipped your wick outside the marital ink, now pay up".
The guys nuts thinking these are worth a couple of million bucks. All he owns are the physical books. Madonna still owns the copyright to everything she's written in them. So what good are a bunch of journals when you can't publish anything in them without her consent? What do you do with them, write a book paraphrasing what she said? LOL
And the dude should be thanking Madonna's reps because they just saved him a ridiculous amount of eBay and PayPal fees! He can consign these to a real auction house and pay less commission to sell them. eBay are a bunch of crooks anymore!
I'm standin by "Disturbed" & "balls" comments.
20 years is ridiculously far too long for Baby M, Melissa Crow, numbnutt, or whatever her current name is called now. (where the hell is she exactly?)
I forget how long it is @ those storage units when you dont pay they have auctions/walk ins whatever once eveery couple mnths. but 20 years at a unit and than all of the sudden you stop paying?!? wouldnt you say to yourself....."MAYBE I SHOULD JUST GET MADGES STUFF OUT FOR NOW, and get the rest later???"
HELLEWWWW COO COOO BIRD!
When this first came out, the Madonna reps said that these were not really Madonna's things. All they are doing now, by insisting that they DO belong to Madonna, is jacking up the price. The more they insist that they shouldn't be sold, the more people are going to want to see what's inside. I can TOTALLY hear the photocopier pumping and churning right about now. However, if I was this dude I would hold off on selling them by auction. DUDE, read them first and see if there is anything really good and juicy in them. If so, copyright them and sell them as books. Publish them yourself. If they are good, whoever sends them out into the bookstores for the public to read is gonna make more money than the 2.5 million or so that you sell it for. It's a gamble, but ohhhhhhh man. Publish a new one each year. They would be collector's items.
The Madonna Diaries Volume I thru whatever. I'd buy one. Dude, I was sitting there trying to read the excerpts that were on TMZ. It's interesting b/c you see the mind and daily workings of a great ...whatever she is... performer-star-icon.
Think about it, man. Don't make any quick decisions. SLOW THE HECK DOWN and think about this.
Good luck. :)
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO JEALOUS of you.
