R&B
Singer Akon Apologizes For Dirty Dancing With Teen Onstage
By NEKESA
MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer
NEW YORK
(AP) _ Akon, under fire for performing a sexually explicit
dance onstage with a 14-year-old girl, has offered an apology
to the teen and anyone else who was offended by the display.
Akon, whose hits
include ``Don't Matter,'' ``I Wanna Love You'' with Snoop
Dogg and ``Smack That'' with Eminem, was videotaped simulating
sex with a girl invited onstage as part of his act during
an April 12 concert in Trinidad. After the video was circulated
widely on the Internet, it was revealed that she was 14.
Since
the incident, Verizon has pulled out as a sponsor of his tour
with Gwen Stefani, for whom he wrote the hit ``The Sweet Escape.''
In
a statement released Wednesday to The Associated Press,
Akon, 34, said he was sorry for the incident but also
said he did not know the girl was underage.
``I
want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and
any pain I've caused to the young woman who joined me
onstage, her family and the Trinidad community for the
events at my concert,''
Akon said.
``It
was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage
of my fans in any way, especially those under the age
of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club
did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience,'' he
said. ``Somehow, that standard was not met.''
Akon's
latest album, ``Konvicted,'' has sold more than 1 million
copies in the United States.
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