Jennifer Lopez is apologizing for singing to a leader known for his repressive regime, but it hasn’t stopped some human rights advocates from slamming her choice of subject all the same.
Lopez performed a concert in Turkmenistan over the weekend, and during the show she was asked to wish the country’s leader, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, a happy birthday.
She obliged, allegedly unaware of the country’s track record of human rights violations.
The singer/star quickly apologized via a press statement, but not before a pair of activists weighed in on her choice in audience.
Thor Halvorssen of the Human Rights Foundation told the Hollywood Reporter: “Lopez obviously has the right to earn a living performing for the dictator of her choice and his circle of cronies. But her actions utterly destroy the carefully crafted message she has cultivated with her prior involvement with Amnesty International’s programs in Mexico aimed at curbing violence against women.”
Ronan Farrow, son of actress/activist Mia Farrow, minced few words with his Twitter response:
Singing happy birthday to dictators while dissidents and journalists die in their torture chambers? Still Jenny from the block, @JLo?
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