Rapper 50 Cent, aka Curtis Jackson, has become the latest celebrity to try to distance themselves from Colonel Gaddafi’s regime, offering to give a fee received from the Gaddafi family to charity.
Nelly Furtado, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Usher have previously expressed similar regret and 50 Cent, who pocketed an undisclosed amount for performing at a private concert for the family of Gaddafi, will make a donation to Unicef in support of their “vital relief [work]” in Libya.
The Gaddafi family, now clinging to power by violent means, has long cultivated a reputation for extravagant, star-studded parties. Gaddafi’s son, Mutassim, threw New Year’s Eve bashes in the Caribbean, hiring performers such as Beyoncé and Carey, while 50 Cent was paid to give a private concert during the 2005 Venice Film festival. Performers allegedly received as much as $2m (£1.23m), while celebrities such as Usher were paid simply to attend the parties.
“In light of the ongoing events in Libya, 50 Cent will be making a donation to Unicef, which is providing vital relief supplies to meet the needs of women and children at risk during this crisis,” a spokesperson for the rapper said. 50 Cent has not revealed the amount of his donation, nor whether it is the same as the amount he was paid by the Gaddafi family in 2005.
Furtado is still the only star to have revealed exactly how much she received for her performance, pledging to donate £614,703 to charity.
