Yakarta
Cuban urban singer, Yakarta, makes headlines after kicking a gay fan in concert. Find out why and what he had to say. Facebook/@LuisJavierPrietoCedeño

Yakarta is making headlines after one of his concert videos went viral on the Internet. The Cuban singer of the popular reggaeton duo, Chacal & Yakarta, is making the rounds after a sour mishap occurred at one of his shows in Havana, Cuba.

In a video clip obtained by Univision, it was observed when a young man in front row grabs Yakarta's private parts in the middle of the showcase. As a result, the Cuban urban star violently kicks the fan, twice. Following the incident, it was then revealed that the fan who disrespected the singer is gay. The video has caused major controversy as many people are now calling the singer homophobic.

"This person threw water at me twice, this person was yelling at me, there was a point where I get close to the audience and he touched my private parts," explained the singer via a phone interview with Univision, explaining his violent reaction. While many people say it was disrespectful of the fan, others are calling the artist homophobic for kicking the gay man.

Hablamos con Yakarta luego de la controversia generada por un video donde se le observa dándole una patada a una persona en el público. (Las imágenes explícitas fueron editadas para televisión) ¿Qué opinas?

Posted by Yusnaby Pérez on Tuesday, May 31, 2016

To his defense, Yakarta assured that his reaction had nothing to do with the man's sexual preference. "I didn't know this person was homosexual, I'm not homophobic," he said. "In fact, I have many friends who are gay," he stated.

Although he claimed to not know who the bystander was, he did clarify that the person was not a fan and was perhaps sent by a hater to cause problems at his show. "I'm unable to mistreat a fan, I've never done that in my life," he said, assuring that he is not a violent person and felt embarrassed with the scandal.

Yakarta, whose real name is Luis Javier Prieto Cedeño, also penned an open letter on his Facebook account. "Neither violence nor homophobia are parts of my behavior, simply because they are not in my values. I deeply regret this incident, which I hope will serve as a lesson to every artist," read part of the statement.

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.