Akon has finally come forward as a man, and offered up an apology for his dance with 15 year old Danah Alleyne at Zen recently in Trinidad. In a statement released to the Associated Press Akon apologizes to "the teen and anyone else who was offended by the display".
The apology from Akon comes a short while after Verizon Wireless pulled lucrative sponsorship deals to both Akon and the Gwen Stefani Tour, on which Akon is the opening act.We reported here in a recent commentary that Akon should have done this as soon as the facts surfaced in the incident. His exact wording of his apology might have saved him the bountiful dollars from Verizon Wireless. He chose silence initially, while his record label tried it's best to cease circulation of the Akon video in Trinidad on Youtube via the DMCA.
Akon, in his statement to AP also noted he did not know the age of Danah Alleyne prior to her coming on stage. He went on to put the onus on Zen nightclub to ensure patrons were over the age limit for entry, as Akon put it "that standard was not met".
Akon went on to say, "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".
"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".
After weeks of press, it appears the Akon incident in Trinidad at Zen nightclub can be safely put to rest. Akon can also rest with the knowledge that Trinidad and Tobago Police will not lay charges in connection with the incident.
