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Verizon Ends Partnership With Hip-Hop Star Akon Following Simulated Rape

By Fox News
Published | Updated

Verizon has ended its partnership with hip-hop star Akon after he simulated the rape of a 15-year-old girl on stage at a show in Trinidad, FOX News has confirmed.

The girl thought she had won a dance contest, but instead got a simulated rape, which was caught on video.

"This week the partnership ended," Verizon said in a statement sent to FOX News. "We have music services on our cellphone service and we were promoting him as one of the artists. The other part of the sponsorship was the Gwen Stefani tour, of which he was an opening act. We are no longer sponsoring the tour."

Patrick Manning, the prime minister of Trinidad, called for a formal investigation of the explicit April 12 performance at Trinidad's Club Zen, which has since been closed by authorities, according to WorldNet Daily.

Click here to read the full WorldNet Daily story

"I have taken very careful notice of this matter and the owner of Zen owes it to the public to take responsibility," Manning said. "I will be interfacing with Zen because that kind of thing should never be allowed to happen in this country."

Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said Akon should be prosecuted.

The girl, Danah Alleyne, is the daughter of Flaming World Ministry pastor David Alleyne. WorldNet Daily reported that she apologized for going on stage with the Senegalese-American Akon, saying she regrets attending the concert.

The teen said she was permitted into the club despite being underage, and was part of what was characterized as an impromptu dance competition announced by the singer. A trip to Africa was the prize. But after Danah "won" the contest, Akon announced the Africa prize was actually him.

"I got carried away, I started to dance as well, but I never thought it was going to be like that," Danah Alleyne told the Trinidad Express. "I was shocked. My head was hitting the floor.

Other officials in Trinidad have called for Akon to be banned from further public performances on the island.

The video has been pulled from the popular video site YouTube, though copies of it can be found on many other Internet sites.

Akon has served jail time for armed robbery and drug sales but still has appeared as a guest performer on "American Idol" and received corporate support from companies like Verizon.