Usher to return money made at Gaddafi family party

By Mary Ann Georgantopoulos: Subscribe to Mary's

March 7, 2011 4:46 PM EST

Usher is the latest celebrity to say that he will return the money he was paid for performing at a Gadaffi family party in St. Barts.

In a statement the musician said, "I am sincerely troubled to learn about the circumstances surrounding the Nikki Beach St. Bart's event that took place on New Year's Eve 2009. I will be donating all of my personal proceeds from that event to various human rights organizations."

Billboard is reporting that Amnesty International confirmed that it received an undisclosed amount.

"Amnesty International activists are working globally to press the international community to support Middle East activists ... Usher's donation will support this urgent work to counter the brutal conditions like those imposed by Gaddafi and other leaders across the Middle East," Amnesty International said in a statement.

Last week, following Nelly Furtado's initiative, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey said they would each return the $1 million they received for performing for Gaddafi's family.

Carey released a statement saying, "I was naïve and unaware of who I was booked to perform for. I feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess. Going forward, this is a lesson for all artists to learn from. We need to be more aware and take more responsibility regardless of who books our shows. Ultimately we as artists are to be held accountable."

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Beyoncé said she donated the money to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

"Once it became known that the third-party promoter was linked to the Gaddafi family, the decision was made to put that payment to a good cause," Beyoncé wrote on her website.

This article is copyrighted by International Business Times, the business news leader
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