By Jasmine Browley
Lord knows Hollyweird is full of morally-corrupt individuals who will sell most of anything for fame and fortune. This statement is especially true when it comes to entertainers who made big money performing for corrupt leaders. Take a look at some of the most notoriously infamous incidents in which an entertainer found themselves smack dab in the middle of a stage performing for some of the world’s most hated leaders.
1. Jennifer Lopez: By now we have become privy to the predicament Jenny from the block has found herself in, as of late. Jennifer recently came under fire when she performed for Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, a well known dictator who is routinely accused of leading one of most brutal oppressive regimes. Since the performance on June 29th, Jenny’s camp released an official statement of apology on July 2, saying that J.Lo was hired by China National Petroleum Corporation to perform for local executives in Turkmenistan and “(It) was not a government-sponsored event or political in nature.” Of course, Jennifer made sure to wish Pres. Berdimuhamedow a happy birthday.
This is not the first time the curvaceous star has found herself on the receiving end of backlash for performing for a controversial world leader.
2. Beyoncé: Mrs. Carter left $1 million richer after reportedly being paid to sing at a New Year’s Eve party in 2010. The host? One of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, Muttassim Gadaffi. After being inundated with unfavorable press and complaints, Beyoncé’s camp finally released a statement over a year later claiming that the proceeds were donated to Haiti earthquake relief efforts, after the singer’s affiliates learned of the performance promoter having ties to the corrupt leader.
3. Mariah Carey: A year before Queen Bey performed at a Gaddafi extravaganza, Mariah received a similar payment for another New Year’s party for the Libyan dictator’s kin. The singer, however, immediately came out with a statement, and very humbly expressed her regret:
“I was naive and unaware of who I was booked to perform for. I feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess. Going forward, this is a lesson for all artists to learn from. We need to be more aware and take more responsibility regardless of who books our shows. Ultimately we as artists are to be held accountable.”
4. Nelly Furtado: The Canadian beauty took to Twitter to voice her displeasure and ignorance of her gig for the Gaddafis. Nelly was hired for $1 million to sing a 45-minute set for Gaddafi family members at a hotel in Italy back in 2007. In a brief statement via her Twitter account, she stated that she was going to give away the payment to an undisclosed charity.
5. Sting: In 2009, The Police star held a concert for Gulnara Karimova, daughter of Uzbekistan’s brutal leader of the Islam Regime, Islam Karimov – the same man who has reportedly boiled his enemies alive and has had innocent citizens shot at point-blank range in the streets of his home country.
The concert made many scratch their heads in confusion, since the rocker has long been an activist for equal rights, what with his tireless efforts with Amnesty International for over 30 years.
6. Michael Jackson: Michael spent six months in Bahrain after he was acquitted of child abuse in 2005, when he became friends with Sheikh Abdullah.
During the stay, the Sheikh built Jackson a recording studio, paid him a $4.7 million advance for two albums, a stage show, and an autobiography, and gave him a $180,000 Rolls Royce. Michael ended up infringing on the agreement, resulting in a lawsuit that settled out of court with the Sheikh. This was during the time that turmoil was broiling between Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, all under the watchful eye of the leader’s family.
