Beyoncé Faces Cease-and-Desist Over Las Vegas Sphere Imagery

NEW YORK, NY — Beyoncé has received a cease-and-desist letter from attorneys representing James Dolan, the chairman of Madison Square Garden, demanding the removal of a video from her Cowboy Carter concert tour. The video features a massive Beyoncé interacting with the Las Vegas Sphere, an iconic venue owned by Dolan’s Sphere Entertainment Group.

Kathleen McCarthy of King & Spalding, the law firm representing Sphere, accused Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé’s production company, of using images of the Sphere without permission. The strongly worded letter, sent on Thursday, claims the video manipulates imagery of the Sphere, and could lead to confusion among fans.

Social media users who attended Beyoncé’s concerts in Los Angeles posted clips of the video, which shows her towering over the city’s skyline and playfully picking up the Sphere. In the letter, McCarthy noted, “Beyoncé — many orders of magnitude larger than the Sphere venue — leans over, picks up the venue, and looms over it.”

According to the letter, Sphere alleges there has been “impermissible use and violation” of their intellectual property rights. The firm expressed concern that the video may lead to rumors suggesting Beyoncé would conclude her tour with a residency at the Sphere, a claim they denied.

Sphere has given Beyoncé a deadline of Monday to cease using the video imagery. They have warned Parkwood that failure to comply could lead to further legal action. The company is also seeking a prohibition against using the Sphere’s imagery in any merchandise or promotional materials.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour began last week in Inglewood, California, and has multiple upcoming shows in major cities such as Chicago, New York, and London. It will wrap up in late July with two concerts at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, just a few miles from the Sphere.

Last year, discussions about a residency at the Sphere fell through when the venue refused to accommodate Beyoncé’s request for a two-week rehearsal shutdown. Reports indicated that she was pursuing a deal with rival venue MGM, aiming for a potential 100-show arrangement.

As the controversy unfolds, Beyoncé’s ticket sales for the Cowboy Carter tour have faced challenges. Ticketmaster’s website shows availability for her scheduled July 25 concert at Allegiant Stadium, just a short distance from the Sphere.

The Post has reached out for a comment from Beyoncé’s team.