This post is part of a series on celebrity spokespeople who ended up doing serious harm to the brands they were hired to promote, or vice versa. See how we rank the 20 top spokesperson fiascos.
Hip-hop/R&B artist Akon is the only person to have twice held both the first and second spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. Winner of a Grammy for his hit "Smack That", he has expanded his repertoire to include producing music and founding his own music production and distribution companies. Such a popular entertainer and entrepreneur would obviously be attractive to a company such as Verizon (NSYE:VZ), looking to hook into the cell-addicted young American.
Akon brought strong ties to the world market, too. Born in Senegal, and raised in New Jersey, a Muslim rumored to have wed multiple women, his exotic background added to his appeal.
Unfortunately, for Verizon, his background failed to properly prepare him to control his on-stage antics or properly estimate the age of his audience. In April of 2007, during a set in Trinidad and Tobago, Akon invited a young lady onto the stage to join him in a simulated sex routine. Unfortunately, the lady proved to be the 15-year-old daughter of a minister. Even more unfortunately, for Akon and Verizon, Akon's film crew recorded the incident and uploaded it to the web, where it drew great public censure. Shortly thereafter, Verizon pulled its sponsorship of Akon's Sweet Escape tour and quit offering his music as ring tones.
Akon's song "Sorry, Blame it On Me," is an apology to the young lady at the center of the scandal. Verizon is still waiting for its song of apology.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-17-2008 @ 4:19PM
kay said...
OK what the writers of this article need to realize is that the 15 yr old girl in questions was reportedly at an adult club!!! the concert was at a venue for 18 and up or 21 and up (im not sure but i know it was for adults). so one would assume that the young lady would be at least 18. and for the record, have you all taken a look at the majority of teen and preteen girls lately? they are developing very very fast, looking like grown women!! If anyone should have been reprimanded it should have been that nasty, fast girl and her father for not keeping tabs on his child. in no way am i excusing Akon's behavior, but i seriously doubt that he would have done that with the girl if he knew right off that she was 15!
7-17-2008 @ 4:48PM
Annmarie said...
I amfrom Trinidad and the club that she was at you have to be 21and older to get in secondly where was her father why did he not know where his daughter was at that time of night. Then did you actually see what she was wearing I am grown and would not wear that. Akon did not force her onto that stage and she could have said no when asked.She should be the one apologizing not only to her parents but to Akon and the entire population of Trinidad and Tobago.
7-17-2008 @ 7:01PM
kritipg said...
i hate how older people always assume that rap artists are in the wrong just because they cater to a younger audience...
if the writer of this article was a good enough writer he would have listened to akon's song, and researched the story enough to know that it was THE STUPID GIRL'S FAULT. if you're only 15 years old you dont get into a club for adults only. how was he meant to know she was underage? if you wanna blame anyone blame the bouncers at the club and the girl most of all. she should have explained afterwards that it was HER FAULT that this whole thing happened. she obviously liked akon enough to sneak into a club, WHY COULDN'T SHE MAKE SURE HE DIDN'T GET INTO SO MUCH SH*T FOR HER MISTAKE?
seriously Tom Barlow, do your research properly. if you were a good writer you wouldn't give readers such a distorted view.
7-17-2008 @ 7:20PM
Shell said...
why does everyone keep fussing at the arthur of the story hes only stating why verizon let the singer go get ticked at them if it was wrong not the person telling the story..