Mariah Carey 'Embarrassed' Over Performance for Gadhafi
After coming under fire for accepting money from private performances for Muammar Gadhafi, Mariah Carey is speaking out. The pop diva has admitted that she was unaware that she lent her talents to a gig funded by the Libyan dictator, and that she is embarrassed to be linked to him.
“I was naive and unaware of who I was booked to perform for. I feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess,” the pregnant songbird said in a statement to AP. “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.”
Mimi sang for the Gadhafi clan back in 2008 in St. Barts, and while she didn’t disclose how much she accepted for the performance, she asserts that she has donated millions to charity throughout the years. Her representative explained that to make up for the controversial show, she will donate royalties earned from her upcoming song “Save the Day” to charities to create awareness for human rights issues.
“Mariah has and continues to donate her time, money, and countless hours of personal service to many organizations both here and abroad,” said her publicist Cindi Berger.
Mariah is the latest to speak out regarding the criticisms in performing for Gadhafi. Yesterday, Beyoncé revealed that she already donated money made from her private performance, while Nelly Furtado pledged to donate her paycheck earlier this week.