Madonna blocks sale of break-up letter from rapper

MADONNA has won a last-minute legal order blocking the auction of her underwear and a love letter from former boyfriend tupac Shakur.

the singer, 58, said she had not realised the items were no longer in her possession.

A brush containing strands of her hair was also due to be sold in an online auction beginning last night. But a judge in Manhattan ordered Gotta Have It! Collectibles to pull 22 items from the sale.

Madonna told the court she was ‘shocked to learn’ of the planned auction of Shakur’s letter, written while the rapper was in prison for sexual assault, in which he said he had ended their romance because he felt that dating a white woman could jeopardise his career. She said: ‘the fact that I have attained celebrity status... does not obviate my right to maintain my privacy, including with regard to highly personal items.

‘I understand that my DNA could be extracted from a piece of my hair. It is outrageous and grossly offensive that my DNA could be auctioned for sale to the general public.’ the 1995 letter from Shakur, who died after a drive-by shooting the following year, had been expected to fetch up to 400,000 dollars (£300,000). Other items scheduled to be sold included the used underwear and private photographs.

Madonna claims her former friend Darlene Lutz took the items without permission. Miss Lutz and the auction house deny this.