Promoters of failed Lil Wayne concert suing Colonial Life Arena to stop refunds

Ticket holders looking for refunds from a concert at Colonial Life Arena that was supposed feature Lil Wayne can’t get refunds after all.

That’s because the promoters of the Sept. 30 Fall Ball have filed a lawsuit against the arena to block refunds for those seeking them after the hip-hop star failed to perform because of a security issue.

“It is unfortunate that the Lil Wayne concert promoters are more concerned about making money than doing the right thing,” Colonial Life Arena officials said in a news release. “They have filed suit and taken legal action to temporarily stop ticket refunds.”

Judge Robert Hood has granted a temporary restraining order stopping the refunds.

“Our promotional team never agreed to a refund,” said Victory Pernell, part of the team of promoters that includes Victory Promotions, Ben Hated, LLC. and MTS Entertainment – reinforcing the promoters joint statement from Oct. 1, when they said there wouldn’t be a refund for the Sept. 30 Fall Ball.

The trouble started when Lil Wayne, who was scheduled to perform at the event, refused to pass through a security check to enter the arena, and skipped the concert.

The Fall Ball also featured 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez and Cardi B. Those performers’ concerts took place as planned.

According to Victory Pernell, part of the team of promoters that includes Victory Promotions, Ben Hated, LLC. and MTS Entertainment, the disputed security issue was a metal detector placed at the performers’ entrance to the arena.

“Promoters were billed for a walk-through metal detector for the back entrance for all performers,” Pernell said on Oct. 9, adding Lil Wayne’s management later said that going through a metal detector was an issue.

Colonial Life Arena officials confirmed Pernell’s assessment about the metal detector and Lil Wayne’s reluctance.

“Three of the four artists scheduled to perform complied with (security) procedures, which included passing through metal detectors. One artist chose to withdraw from the concert rather than undergo a security check,” CLA officials said.

The lawsuit alleges the arena’s pledge for refunds has created a “firestorm of dissatisfaction and confusion” against the concert’s promoters, according to wistv.com.

Colonial Life Arena said it is putting the interests of its patrons first.

“We will continue to push for a fair resolution that includes refunds for those who seek them,” arena officials said. “We appreciate the continued patience of ticket holders as this process continues to unfold.”

The promoters original reason for denying a refund was because they said Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., wasn’t the event’s headliner.

“All of our flyers and promotions has never once mentioned Lil Wayne as the headliner nor mentioned this as a Lil Wayne concert,” promoters wrote on Oct. 1.

Pernell reiterated that point Monday, before contradicting himself, describing the other performers as “opening acts.”

When addressing the specific security screening that Lil Wayne took issue with, Pernell said, “Lil Wayne wants to be private. He didn’t want to go through the same entrance that lots of opening acts were going through.”

Lil Wayne spent eight months in a New York City jail for gun possession after police found the weapon on his tour bus as he left a 2007 concert. But Pernell said the public has nothing to fear from Lil Wayne.

“He weighs 108 pounds, who’s he gonna harm,” said Pernell, who again contradicted himself by adding, “I think security measures should be the same for everybody. Anybody can act a fool.”

This story was originally published October 13, 2017 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Promoters of failed Lil Wayne concert suing Colonial Life Arena to stop refunds."