Gwen Stefani Going To Court

Gwen Stefani is heading to trial in February over allegations she caused a stampede at a concert.

Lisa Stricklin filed a negligence suit against the singer and Live Nation in July 2017 in which she accused the No Doubt star of creating a dangerous situation at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2016 after she invited fans to rush the stage; in the ensuing chaos, Stricklin allegedly suffered a broken leg.

The suit stems from an incident that occurred 10 minutes into the show, when Gwen told the audience, “If anyone wants to come down a little closer so I can see you a little better, just come on down, I don’t think anyone’s going to care.” Fans immediately rushed the stage, prompting Gwen to tell them to go back to their seats, but it was too late for Strickland. She claims she was trampled and pushed into a wall, causing her to sustain a fractured leg.

Stefani’s team requested a summary judgment in the case, but that motion was denied by federal judge Robert Conrad in North Carolina on Monday. The judge ruled that the singer could be held liable for the stampede and scheduled a trial to begin on February 19th. He began his decision by quoting the lyrics from Gwen’s hit “Sweet Escape”: “I know I’ve been a real bad girl/I didn’t mean for you to get hurt whatsoever.”

The judge ruled in favor of a summary judgment for Live Nation, saying the concert promoters “”did not owe Plaintiff a duty to protect her from the crowd and her resulting injury because Stefani’s actions were unforeseeable.” Live Nation was cleared in the case.

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As a result of the ruling, Strickland can proceed with her negligence case against Gwen, but she won’t be allowed to seek punitive damages. The trial is set to start February 19th.