Muhammad Ali's family is not happy that scalpers are selling free tickets to his memorial

A memorial for Muhammad Ali in Louisville, Kentucky.
(Image credit: Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images)

Ticket scalpers are selling tickets to Muhammad Ali's Friday memorial service that were originally free, and his family is upset by the "despicable act."

"It is deplorable that some people are trying to profit off of the solemn service as we celebrate the life of Muhammad Ali," Ali family spokesman Bob Gunnell told The Associated Press. Ali carefully planned his service, the family said, and insisted the tickets be free. The tickets were distributed on Wednesday, but fans began to stand in line outside the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on Tuesday night, hoping to get one of 15,000 tickets available. The tickets were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, and were gone in about an hour.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.