Akon Not Copping to Fan-Tossing
Akon is doing what he can to avoid konviction.
The singer appeared in a Fishkill, New York, courtroom Monday morning and pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a June incident in which he hurled a 15-year-old fan from a concert stage, allegedly hitting another concertgoer. (View footage of the incident.)
Akon faces a misdemeanor charge of endangering a minor, as well as a second-degree harassment violation. He is also named in a civil suit filed by a woman who claims she suffered a concussion when the airborne fan landed on top of her.
He was released without bail Monday and was ordered to return to court on Jan. 16. Prosecutors said the singer's attorney could appear on his behalf at future hearings.
If convicted of the charges, he could face up to one year, 15 days behind bars.
Following his court appearance, Akon's legal team released a statement on his behalf, expressing the singer's regret over the situation.
"It was never Akon's intent to violate the law," read the statement issued by attorneys Benjamin Brafman and Andrea Zellan. "This unfortunate incident was a spontaneous reaction during a live concert that Akon deeply regrets. We are confident that this matter will ultimately be resolved in a manner that does not in any way interfere with Akon's successful career."
For his part, Akon has claimed the incident was staged and that he pulled the boy-tossing stunt as a means of setting up his next song.
"People know me for doing crazy things, but even this kind of thing, I'm going to cut out in the future as people are taking it in a negative way and taking it seriously," he told allhiphop.com in August.
All in all, it's been less than a banner year for the Senegalese-American performer.
After video footage of him simulating a sex act onstage with an underage female fan made the rounds online last spring, Verizon dropped him as a featured artist and pulled its sponsorship from Gwen Stefani's Sweet Escape tour on which he was the opening act.
In October, a free concert for students and faculty at Emory University in Atlanta was canceled after part of the stage collapsed during setup, injuring several crewmembers and a drummer.
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