By M&C News May 7, 2007, 13:58 GMT
Communication company Verizon gave rapper Akon the boot on Friday following the release of a video that showed the 25-year-old performer having simulated sex onstage with a minor at a concert in Trinidad on April 12th.
Akon - Nickelodeon's 20th Annual Kids' Choice Awards - Pauley Pavilion - UCLA - Westwood, CA © Glenn Harris / Photorazzi
The Trinidad Express has reported that the ‘Konvicted’ rapper had seven women join him on stage for a dance during the show, and even promised the best dancer would win a grand-prize trip to Africa. There are some reports that one of the women on the stage was a 15-year-old girl – who Akon appears to get rather friendly with during the dancing.
The girl (who is reportedly a pastor’s daughter) issued a public apology in April after footage of the dance was shown on a local television station. The Akon video (which features him improvising multiple sexual positions with the girl) has popped up on YouTube, but has been removed.
Following the release of the footage, Verizon announced it would be ending its partnership with Akon and removing the featured ringtone. In a statement to Fox News, a Verizon representative said: "We have music services on our cell phone service and we were promoting him as one of the artists. The other part of the sponsorship was the Gwen Stefani tour, of which he was an opening act. We are no longer sponsoring the tour."
The girl was supposed to be over 18 years of age to get into the Zen nightclub (where the dance contest was held), and the club has been closed down by authorities. The Trinidadian Prime Minster Patrick Manning has also announced an investigation into the Akon show and how the girl was able to get into the club.
Manning told the WorldNetDaily.com that he had “taken very careful notice of this matter and the owner of Zen owes it to the public to take responsibility.” He further stated he would be “interfacing with Zen because that kind of thing should never be allowed to happen in this country.”
Akon joined Stefani on stage at “American Idol” in March to perform the hit single "The Sweet Escape" from Stefani’s new album. He returned to the show two weeks later to perform “Don't Matter.” Akon’s new album ‘Konvicted’ was released in November of 2006.
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