Jennifer Lopez Criticized For Performing at Turkmenistan Leader's Birthday: Singer Responds

Jennifer Lopez is being criticized for performing at the birthday party of an authoritarian leader in Central Asia.

On Saturday, the singer performed "Happy Birthday Mr. President" at the lavish celebration for Turkmenistan leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.

But a rep for Lopez said she wouldn’t have agreed to the performance had she known about the regime’s history of human rights violations.

In a statement to Gossip Cop, the star’s publicist says the party was "not a government sponsored event or political in nature."

Lopez’s spokesperson adds, "Had there been knowledge of human right issues of any kind, Jennifer would not have attended."

Turkmenistan has been called one of the world’s most oppressive regimes by Human Rights

Check out the FULL STATEMENT below, and tell us what you think.
JENNIFER LOPEZ REP STATEMENT:

Jennifer Lopez and several other artists were invited and performed at a private corporate event for the China National Petroleum Corporation that was presented to their local executives in Turkmenistan.

This was not a government sponsored event or political in nature. The event was vetted by her representatives, had there been knowledge of human right issues of any kind, Jennifer would not have attended.

The China National Petroleum Corporation made a last minute ‘birthday greeting’ request prior to Jennifer taking the stage. This was not stipulated in her contract but she graciously obliged the China National Petroleum Corporation request.