Sean Penn Craps All Over Wyclef Jean
Sean Penn reportedly “suspicious” of Wyclef Jean’s presidency bid
Penn, who runs his own charity in the Haitian capital Port-Au-Prince, said he questioned the former Fugees frontman’s motivation and his finances calling him a “non-presence” in the country.
Hollywood actor Sean Penn has revealed that he is “suspicious” of Wyclef Jean’s bid to become the president of Haiti, calling his display of wealth while in the country “obscene”, according to reports.
Penn, who runs his own charity in the Haitian capital Port-Au-Prince, said he questioned the former Fugees frontman’s motivation and his finances calling him a “non-presence” in the country.
Jean had earlier appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live to announce he is running for the presidency of the country, which was left devastated by a catastrophic earthquake in January that killed 230,000 people, injured 300,000 and left a reported 1.5 million homeless.
Jean’s announcement came on the same day as US news reports claimed the singer owes the US Inland Revenue Service more than $2m in unpaid taxes.
The finances of the musician’s charity Yele Haiti were previously called into question with allegations of fraud and misappropriation, after money from the foundation was used to pay rent for properties owned by Jean and for massive fees for his own musical performances at events staged by the charity.
Jean has denied any wrongdoing, but has since stepped down from the board of the foundation.
He said: “Those allegations are not true. The allegations that are true when it comes to the Yele Haiti is the situation of the tax, which wasn't filed on time… But did Wyclef Jean every take Yele Haiti money to put in his personal pocket? Never.”
But his reassurances failed to convince Penn – who recently spent six months in Haiti running a 55,000-person tent camp through the J/P Haitian Relief Organisation that he co-founded.
Penn said: “I have to say, I'm very suspicious of it simply because he [Jean], as an ambassador at large, has been virtually silent. For those of us in Haiti, he has been a non-presence.”
He added: “I want to see someone who is really, really willing to sacrifice for their country. Not just someone who I personally saw with a vulgar entourage of vehicles that demonstrated a wealth in Haiti that, in context, I felt was a very obscene demonstration.”
