When celebrities hang out with dictators

[jw5]

Vain, ruthless and sheltered from the real world​

Celebrities and dictators may sound like a strange mix, but it’s more common than you think. One of them can be vain, ruthless, self-centered, and surrounded by yes men who shelter them from reality. The other, well… Maybe celebrities and dictators are more alike than we like to think. Here are some curious examples from the past and present.

 

[dredd]

Can this be considered as wannabe dictators with real dictators?

 

[blackmondy]

When dictator hang out with dictator.

 

[jw5]

Steven Seagal and Alexander Lukashenko​

1990s Hollywood action star Steven Seagal traveled to Belarus in 2016 to meet Alexander Lukashenko, who has been dubbed as Europe’s last dictator.

 

[jw5]

Greens from the White Russia​

The actor, who claimed he had long wanted to meet the Eastern European strongman, was gifted carrots and other vegetables from Lukashenko’s own residence outside of Minsk.

 

[jw5]

From action star to diplomat​

Seagal and Lukashenko also have a friend in common: Russian President Vladimir Putin. The star of ‘Under Siege’ was granted Russian citizenship in 2018 and was appointed as Russia’s special envoy to the United States.

 

[jw5]

Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong Un​

Another celebrity turned unlikely diplomat is Dennis Rodman. Since 2013, the former NBA player has developed a friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and is considered as an unofficial peace ambassador to North Korea.

 

[jw5]

The Kim and I​

Rodman claims not to be a diplomat, but he apparently managed to get a Korean-American missionary under North Korean captivity released. Some have even speculated that the former NBA player might be an undercover CIA agent.

 

[jw5]

J-lo and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow​

Sometimes celebrities become supporters of ruthless leaders unwittingly, while they act as if it’s just another gig. Jennifer Lopez was criticized in 2013 for singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, seen here riding a horse during a military parade.

 

[jw5]

'Happy birthday, Mr. President...'​

The pop star is the first Western celebrity to visit the country, which Human Rights Watch has called "one of the world’s most repressive regimes."

 

[jw5]

Nicki Minaj and Jose Eduardo dos Santos​

This also happened to Nicki Minaj when she went to Angola in 2015. She claims she didn't know that the entertainment company that organized her concert was partially owned by the family of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
Pictured: Nicki Minaj posing with the Angolan flag on her Instagram account.

 

[jw5]

Almost 40 years in power​

Dos Santos ruled Angola from 1979 to 2017, becoming the second longest-serving African president, until he was succeeded by his former Minister of Defense.

 

[tanwahtiu]

Who to dictate who is the dictator... not from those evil BE imperialist confederate slave owners US.... dumbwit...

Know your evil history of US.... motherfucker....

 

[jw5]

Mariah Carey and her problematic gigs​

Mariah Carey also got flak for performing in Angola in 2013. In addition, she got into trouble before for singing at a party hosted by the family of Muammar Gaddafi, the late Libyan strongman who was toppled in 2011.

 

[jw5]

50 cent spares a dime​

Other artists that performed for the Gaddafi family include Nelly Furtado and 50 Cent. They ended up donating their concert salaries due to the backlash.

 

[jw5]

Kanye West and Nursultan Nazarbayev​

If there's one celebrity who'd probably not surprise us by hanging out with dictators, it is Ye, previously known as Kanye West. The rapper extraordinaire and former partner of Kim Kardashian did a gig for dictator Nursultan Nazarbayev.

 

[jw5]

Kazakhstan, greatest country in the world...​

West was paid 3 million US dollars to perform at the wedding of Nursultan Nazarbayev's grandson. The President of Kazakhstan ruled the country from 1991 to 2019.

 

[jw5]

Nicolás Maduro and Roger Waters​

While many celebrities in this list simply went for the money, others socialize with dictators out of conviction. Musician Roger Waters, for instance, has been very vocal about his support to Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.

 

[jw5]

Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall​

Maduro even sent Waters an autographed cuatro (a traditional Venezuelan string instrument), which the Pink Floyd band member received with enthusiasm.

 

[jw5]

We don't talk about Hugo​

Some people might regard Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chávez, as a dictator. Others might not. What is true is that he certainly was a colorful political figure. Chávez had a good rapport with the masses and celebrities alike.
Pictured: Chávez with Sean Penn in 2010.