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One of the problems with accepting money from powerful dictators? You don’t look so good when people find out about it.
Many people in the music industry have called for heavyweights like Beyoncé and Mariah Carey to donate money they made from performances for the Gaddafi family. Naturally, this has caused some controversy for the stars.
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The family of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has been known to throw lavish parties with big name entertainment. In addition to Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, mega-stars such as 50 Cent, Usher, and Nelly Furtado have all banked impressive cash for playing short sets for Gaddafi’s son Muatassim.
Reportedly, Carey was paid $1 million for singing at a New Year’s Eve party in 2008 in St. Barts, the same amount that Furtado took home from a performance the year before. The other singers have also done shows at the request of the Gaddafis, for undisclosed amounts.
After the recent protests in Libya, which led to even wider-spread reporting of Gaddafi’s well-documented brutality, rumors and accusations have circulated about which celebrities have ties with the dictator. Music agents, managers and the media are suggesting that it would be in the best interest of the stars’ reputations, if not their bank accounts, to admit to accepting the money and donating the same amount to a charity.
Furtado has already led the pack with that public relations move when she tweeted, “In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy. I am going to donate the $”.
So far there hasn’t been word from Carey and the rest, on their plans for donations. (via Rolling Stone)
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