Canadian singer to give away $1 million Gaddafi fee

Nelly Furtado to give away $1 million Gaddafi fee

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110301/people_nm/us_nellyfurtado/print


Tue Mar 1, 6:58 am ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Singer Nelly Furtado said on Monday that she will give away $1 million she received to perform in Italy for the family of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi has been condemned for using violence to quell a popular uprising, with the death toll from nearly two weeks of fighting estimated by diplomats at about 2,000.

Furtado, a Canadian singer whose hits include "I'm Like a Bird" and "Promiscuous," used the website Twitter to disclose her plans for the $1 million.

"In 2007, I received 1 million$ from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy," she wrote. "I am going to donate the $"
A spokeswoman for Furtado could not be reached to say which group Furtado plans to designate for her donation.

Furtado first rose to fame with the 2000 album "Whoa, Nelly!" She also appeared in the 2008 movie "Max Payne."

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)

 

It only took her four years to decide to do this. :smt102

 

Must be nice to have a million bucks to give away and is it any surprise that she did this now? Most celebrities are total attention whores.

 

With all that is in he news of him these days she probably decided after the fact (4 years) the money was too dirty. If she really was so principiled she wouldn't have worked for him or taken the money four years ago. She is suspect......

 

Of course she is. Most celebrities are

 

skidding down a slippery slope

Interesting perspective nonetheless, though there are also contrary arguments out there. This article presents one of them. I think matters like this, if one pursues the principled argument could lead one on a skid, on a slippery slope.


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Nelly Furtado: Singing for thugs


CALGARY HERALDMARCH 2, 2011 7:31 AM

Note to Nelly Furtado: good on you for donating your Gadhafi gig money to charity, but don't feel too guilty. Considering that Gadhafi's appalling regime was embraced by world leaders including George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Paul Martin and Silvio Berlusconi -not to mention that Libya, until yesterday, was a member of the questionable and oxymoronically named United Nations Human Rights Council -we can't expect entertainers like yourself to be held to a higher standard.

Canada's Furtado announced on Twitter this week that she will donate $1 million she received to perform for the "Gadhafi clan" at a hotel in Italy in 2007. Other celebrities, including Mariah Carey, Usher and Beyonce, have stayed silent on the lucre they reportedly received performing for Gadhafi's sons.

According to leaked U.S. State Department documents, Carey was paid $1 million for a New Year's Eve 2008 performance for Mutassim Gadhafi at St. Barts island in the Caribbean. Beyonce and Usher entertained at a similar party the following year, also for $1 million, according to the documents. Jay Z and Lionel Richie also reportedly sang for the Gadhafis.

There has been a flood of criticism levelled at the entertainers for taking the Gadhafi money, and that is warranted, after all, he is a dictator who has helped murder hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks. However, some perspective is in order.

To avoid being targeted by the U.S. as a supporter of terrorism, Gadhafi publicly disavowed terrorism in 2002. His apparent change of heart was welcomed by world leaders. They legitimized Gadhafi by embracing him. It is the height of hypocrisy to expect entertainers to do better than presidents, prime ministers and industry titans who did business with the Gadhafi regime.


© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

 

She isnt alone, even Beyonce did the same thing - lets see if anybody else is stepping up and donate the money they recieved.

On a side note - if Nely want to be completely fair, she should not only donate the million, she should donate whatever interest she accrued on it also. duh.. or she still gained.

 

There has been a call for all celebrities who performed for the Gaddafi family to give there fee back apparently.

Beyonce and Jayz have performed for them as well , I heard it on the wireless this evening.

 

Khadafi (I refuse to spell it with a Q) was cool 4 years ago. With all that's in the news now, better safe than sorry by donating it. I'm just surprised she's still got it, it would have been gone if it was me.

 

Gaddafi is no different from other rulers in the region.

His dictatorship is a bit more strict as he banned civil organizations that could pose a threat, but there is no reason to single him out as being radically different from other self-appointed or hereditarian rulers for life in the Arab world.

Furtado's reasoning isn't explained in the article, but I'd like to know it.

 

Pretty much!

 

Because its in the media and better do it before it becomes a public outrage and somebody demands it?

 

I think it is a good thing that show-business is now intertwined with politics. Increasingly, and globally, celebrities are expected by fans to be socially responsible.

 

You're right but no one else has killed 2000 of their own people lately. I'm hoping the next uprising is in Jordan. Those people seem like they've been on the verge for years now.

 

The back story is probably her publicty person was contacted to comment on something that was going to come out in the media then they quick hatch a plan to say oh coincidentally to your doing this story she is giving it back.

 

The sultry yoga expert from Colorado is also top-notch rapid-response media consultant. WINNING

 

It disgusts me that you're probably right.

 

Why are you disgusted, it's show business

 

you such a creative genius.

 

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