Akon Axed by Verizon Over Simulated Rape

Posted May 4th 2007 3:44PM by TMZ Staff

Rapper Akon has been fired by Verizon -- and is being threatened with prosecution -- after he reportedly simulated a rape of a 15-year-old on stage during a concert in Trinidad a few weeks ago.

Verizon promoted Akon as one of the musicians on its mobile-phone music service, and said it would no longer sponsor the Gwen Stefani tour in which Akon, who recently performed on "American Idol," is the opening act.

The rapper invited 15-year-old Danah Alleyne onto the stage, and the girl obliged, thinking that she was entering a dance contest to win a "trip to Africa," as Akon promised. But when Alleyne "won" the contest, the "trip to Africa" turned out to be an on-stage encounter with Akon during which her "head was hitting the floor, said Alleyne to the Trinidad Express (via FOX News).

In its account of the incident, the Trinidad Express said that the "Smack That" rapper was "turning, twisting and even flipping [the girl's] body," while "mimicking sexual positions" and sandwiching the girl with the assistance of another performer. The Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said, in FOX News' report, that Akon should be prosecuted.

This isn't the first time Akon has done some sketchy work on stage. TMZ obtained exclusive footage of Tara Reid getting the Akon treatment during a party at the Sundance Film Festival.

A rep for Verizon told TMZ they were sponsoring Akon and made a decision this week to end the relationship for, as they called it, "reasons." Beyond that, the rep would not elaborate.

Filed under: Music


Tags: Akon

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121. InSepctor Gadget Go Screw Yourself! Idiot!!!!!


AKON Can Share a Cell with PARIS HILTON. He can Simulate on Her All He Wants. She Won't Mind

Posted at 4:12PM on May 7th 2007 by SHARE

122. AKON U R SO RETARTED!!!! CANT U GET SOMEONE UR OWN AGE????? I LOVE UR MUSIC, BUT I DONT LOVE THIS!!!!!

Posted at 4:53PM on May 7th 2007 by shayne

123. You need to know that facts, the clubs was suppose to be for adults 18 and up. So that little fast a$$ girl should not have been there. It is not AKon job to ID people in a club. He did nothing wrong Watch your hot a$$ daughters, and there won't be a problem.

Posted at 3:00PM on May 8th 2007 by ALy

124. THIS IS TO NUMBER# 70. I wonder...if this was a WHITE artist who did that to a 15 year old black girl, would Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson demand punishment??? Well, we won't see them criticizing Akon, that's for sure.

Posted at 7:11PM on May 4th 2007 by Tianna
BUT IF HE WAS WHITE WOULD ALL THIS BE A PROBLEM, UMMMMMMM MOST LIKELY NOT!!!. LMAO, YOU ALL ARE A JOKE. THIS IS PER COMEDY.

Posted at 3:02PM on May 8th 2007 by ALy

125. Even thou this might be true...i dont think he show be prosecuted for that cause thats the way we dance every day in jamaica especially the dutty wine..she seems like a wild bitch been there in the first place...she should have never brought her ass on satge if she couldnt handle that ....watever to y'all whoo commented before...cause regardless he did nothing wrong....nuff love y'all i'm out

Posted at 5:51PM on May 8th 2007 by lacey

126. It sounds like Verizon is still taking care of Anotsokind. He is still making money from the ringtones available on the Verizon downloads. Keep up the pressure!

Posted at 11:54PM on May 8th 2007 by eddie on fire

127. TO THE MORON THAT WROTE THIS (THAT CLAIMS TO BE BRITNEY SPEARS):

DON'T BELIEVE THIS STORY YA'LL. REMEMBER THEY TOLD US JAY Z WAS DEAD AND THEN A FEW MINUTES LATER THEY TOLD US HE WASN'T DEAD.

TMZ IS TELLING LIES ABOUT AKON TOO YA'LL

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARE YOU FRIGGIN BRAIN DEAD? WATCH THE VIDEO!
THEY CAN'T MAKE THIS UP! OR DO YOU THINK THEY MADE THAT
TAPE TO FOOL EVERYONE?

YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 8:10AM on May 9th 2007 by drea

128. There was a time when this guy would've been hanging from a tree for this, whether the girl was 15 or 35.

Posted at 5:36PM on May 9th 2007 by Nunya

129. If this had been a white artist doing this to a black girl, Al Sharpton would be gathering a riot gang in the streets already. I want to see him make a public statement now about how brutal and violent the male black artitsts of today are. And I want to hear him demand a stop be put to it.

Posted at 5:46PM on May 9th 2007 by Nunya

130. dude
1. he didnt no she was 15
2. even if she wasnt he still wrong
3. they didnt even do nuttin really

Posted at 6:15PM on May 9th 2007 by blatttt

131. The video is Tara Ried,not the 15 year old.

Posted at 7:03PM on May 9th 2007 by sue

132. I've seen Akon a couple of times in concert and he does act this way all the time. Both concerts he invited girls on stage and threw them up on his waist like seen in the video. I think it is demoralizing and is teaching the wrong things. At one concert he even had a little boy no older than 8, up on the stage and having the boy smack the girls rear. Where do we draw the line?!

Posted at 10:22PM on May 9th 2007 by B Villa

133. I don't approve of this type of conduct but it looked to me as if she enjoyed the entire content.

Posted at 10:33PM on May 9th 2007 by Hulk35mommy

134. first of all she knew her ass was to young to get in. y'all comin' down on akon, think about it what is her underage ass doing there in the second place. it was wrong for what he was doing to a fan. how in the hell did she get pass security w/ an i.d that wasn't hers and her dad is minister com'on now y'all know she already wild

Posted at 12:05AM on May 10th 2007 by blackgal

135. Verizon-wireless acted swiftly when bombarded with e-mails from customers who were just plain tired of "acts" like Akon's being commercialized, which they are, when mass fortunes are made from them..all having to do with corporations aiding and abedding pockets of culture that serve no purpose but to MAKE MONEY..oblivious to the violence they contribute to of Women.

The Trinidad video had Akon snatching the girl from the audience (saw the video on Michelle Malken.com), performing a simulated rape scene on her and then casting her back into the audience again. Her mother said her daughter was bruised after her "attack". The mother did not know at that time if they would take legal action against Akon..so much for the "I am sorry statement"..saving his sorry A$$!

Akon has some of the most vile lyrics of all rap artists (artist being questioned). When is it even ok to degrade women as he has done ongoing?
Only need to see the idiot's lyrical history minus the music to really see that he is abusive to the rights of women. He is abusive and even vile to look at!

Long story short Akon lost the partnership with Verizon-wireless as they "have children too"..how do you keep your child from being exposed to people like Akon who serves no purpose to society via his "musical expression" and is abusive to our power exercised under our "1st Amendment Rights" by promoting him through your own Corporation. You do not ! You fire him. Verizon- wireless took the thousands of e-mails seriously. They said in an e-mail : "We know longer partnership with Akon." Money talks. It becomes a moral issue. It becomes keeping our kids safe from the personas of his ilk. These Creetants who are arrested every day for beating up some old lady in her hallway to steal her purse. Can't just steal an old lady's purse anymore, seems these thugs have to beat the 85 year old women as well. The young guy who beats on his girlfriend, sleeps with as many women as he can, fathers as many kids as he cans and takes no responsibility for his actions..leaving victims where ever he travels. These are the people who listen to people like Akon and then re inact Akon's lack of civilized morality into their own. A HISTORY of abuse toward women.

(Sorry if I have offended the posse of Akon, but that's my opinion and guess the opinion of thousands and thousands of Verizon-wireless customers!!! GO VERIZON-WIRELESS!

Now it is time to also mass e-mail the New AT&T-Cingular as they have partnered with this vile hip hop "person" who degrades the music of this genre. His actions are repeated over and over..his music speaks for who he is. He thought he could get a way with this in Trinidad, but he didnt' as it was caught on video.

So e-mail, the new AT&T/Cingular wireless, as many already have, but with no response from them on Akon....they have not acted swiftly as did Verizon-wireless. Are they clueless..no money means more than what comes down to a "moral issue"? Keep promoting those fancy phones to the kiddies..we can't lose that huge customer base?

There is nothing wrong with hip hop music. It is a culture within itself and there are gifted artists amix, but Akon is a vile, decadent creature who needs to clean up his act. He cleans it up and no one listens? He has to resort to abuse of women, violence toward women to make a buck? Have diginity in yourself ..express the same diginity to another when in a relationship. Over 18 and listening to this excrement sandwich, then am sure , women must be flocking to your 'crib'. Sad..women can be just as much to blame for allowing this abusive '"Akon attitude mentality" to take place within their midst.

Posted at 9:00AM on May 10th 2007 by ScreenPlay

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