When celebrities hang out with dictators
Vain, ruthless, and shielded from the real world
Celebrities and dictators might sound like an odd mix, but it’s more common than you think. One of them can be vain, ruthless, self-centered, and surrounded by yes-men who shield them from reality. The other, well… Maybe celebrities and dictators are more alike than we think. Here are some curious examples from the past and present.
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Steven Seagal and Alexander Lukashenko
1990s Hollywood action star Steven Seagal traveled to Belarus in 2016 to meet Alexander Lukashenko, dubbed Europe’s last dictator.
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Greens from Belarus
The actor, who claimed to have long wanted to meet the strongman from Eastern Europe, was presented with carrots and other vegetables from Lukashenko’s own residence outside Minsk.
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From action star to diplomat
Seagal and Lukashenko also have a mutual friend: Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Under Siege star obtained Russian citizenship in 2018 and was appointed Russia’s special envoy to the United States.
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Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong Un
Another celebrity turned unlikely diplomat is Dennis Rodman. The former NBA player has been friends with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un since 2013 and is considered an unofficial ambassador of peace in North Korea.
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The Kim and I
Rodman claims not to be a diplomat, but he apparently managed to free a Korean-American missionary from North Korean captivity. Some have even speculated that the former NBA player could be an undercover CIA agent.
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J-lo and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov
Sometimes celebrities unwittingly become supporters of ruthless leaders while pretending it’s just another gig. Jennifer Lopez was criticized in 2013 for singing “Happy Birthday” to Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who is seen here riding a horse during a military parade.
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‘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 most repressive regimes in the world.”
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Nicki Minaj and Jose Eduardo dos Santos
So did Nicki Minaj when she went to Angola in 2015. She claims she was unaware that the entertainment company that organized her concert was partially owned by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos’ family.
Pictured: Nicki Minaj poses with the Angolan flag on her Instagram account.
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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 defense minister.
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Mariah Carey and her troubled performances
Mariah Carey also received flak for her performance in Angola in 2013. She also previously got into trouble for singing at a party thrown by the family of Muammar Gaddafi, the late Libyan strongman who was ousted in 2011.
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50 cents saves one cent
Other artists who have performed for the Gaddafi family include Nelly Furtado and 50 Cent. Eventually, due to the backlash, they donated their concert salaries.
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Kanye West and Nursultan Nazarbayev
If there’s one celebrity who probably wouldn’t surprise us hanging out with dictators, it’s Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. The rapper extraordinaire and former partner of Kim Kardashian has done a gig for dictator Nursultan Nazarbayev.
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Kazakhstan, the largest country in the world…
West was paid $3 million to perform at Nursultan Nazarbayev’s grandson’s wedding. The President of Kazakhstan ruled the country from 1991 to 2019.
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Nicolas Maduro and Roger Waters
While many celebrities on this list are simply out for money, others associate with dictators out of conviction. Musician Roger Waters, for example, has been very vocal in his support for Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.
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Banging your heart against a crazy guy’s wall
Maduro even sent Waters a signed cuatro (a traditional Venezuelan stringed instrument), which the Pink Floyd band member enthusiastically received.
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We’re not talking about Hugo
Some might consider Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chávez a dictator. Others maybe not. It is true that he was certainly a colorful political figure. Chávez had a good relationship with the masses and celebrities alike.
Pictured: Chávez with Sean Penn in 2010.
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A real red carpet
Socialist leader Chávez went to the Venice International Film Festival in 2009 with Oliver Stone. Stone had interviewed Chávez for a documentary. A few years later, the American director also conducted interviews with Vladimir Putin.
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Naomi Campbell and Hugo Chavez?
At the same time, some journalists suspected that supermodel Naomi Campbell might have something to do with the Venezuelan autocrat. She had interviewed him for GQ in 2008, and media outlets like ABC and El País speculated there was more going on between them.
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Power makes intoxicating
Although this relationship has never been confirmed, what they say about the allure of strength is certainly true: Nothing is more intoxicating than power.
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