Why was Beyoncé issued a cease-and-desist? Las Vegas Sphere video controversy explained
Beyoncé recently created headlines after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the legal team of James Dolan, owner of Madison Square Garden, on May 1, 2025. Notably, the letter is associated with a video recorded during the Cowboy Carter tour, which featured the singer picking up and playing with the Las Vegas Sphere ball, as per Billboard.
The outlet stated that the entire sequence was created with the help of computer graphics, and Dolan’s attorneys have now approached the singer, seeking the removal of the sphere sequence. Notably, the moment was recorded during Beyoncé’s performance, which also happened on May 1, at the Los Angeles-based SoFi Stadium.
According to the New York Post, the letter from Dolan’s legal team claimed that Beyoncé was never allowed to use the Sphere in the video, as it reads:
“SEG was never asked and the prominent appearance and the manipulation of SEG’s Sphere venue in the video is unauthorized.”
The viral video shows the Fade to Black star approaching the ball wearing a red outfit. A few moments later, Beyoncé held the ball in her hand and stared at it for some time until she walked away.
Detroit Free Press stated that the Las Vegas Sphere was originally associated with Madison Square Garden Entertainment, and following the company’s separation into two parts, James Dolan’s Sphere Entertainment Group became its owner.
The Cowboy Carter tour started last month. It is supposed to cover multiple locations such as Chicago, London, Houston, and Atlanta. The event is scheduled to end on July 26, 2025.
Beyoncé accused of violating SEG property rights: Letter and other details explained
The cease-and-desist letter was sent by attorney Kathleen McCarthy, working for the law firm King & Spalding, to the American Idol star’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, on May 1, 2025, as per the New York Post.
Kathleen addressed how the sphere was used in the video and claimed that Beyoncé’s actions led to the violation of the intellectual property rights of the Sphere Entertainment Tour. The letter mentioned that the video also led to speculations that the artist would perform at the Sphere as part of her ongoing tour.
Furthermore, SEG has warned that they would take action if necessary and has provided a deadline of May 5, 2025, to remove the sphere sequence from the video. SEG is also seeking restrictions on the usage of the sphere images by Parkwood Entertainment in any manner on their materials, such as films based on tours.
While Beyoncé and Parkwood Entertainment have not responded to the letter until now, the former has reportedly attempted to negotiate with the Sphere for a residency on certain occasions.
A report by the New York Post in July last year claimed that the Lip Sync Battle star was reportedly in discussion with the venue for a few months to finalize something for a performance. However, Sphere rejected her demands to shut down for two weeks for the performance rehearsal.
Back in 2023, James Dolan was reportedly approaching Beyoncé for a performance, which did not happen after the latter’s team requested $10 million for producing her show, as per the New York Post.
Meanwhile, the All of Us star’s ongoing tour is a part of supporting her latest album Cowboy Carter, which grabbed the first spot on the US Billboard 200 and other charts.
