S. Samuel
Latin rapper Daddy Yankee has stepped forward to clear the air on rumors and speculation which suggest he declared his homosexuality this week with an open statement and photo kissing another man.
Yankees’ PR team quickly issued a statement to clear the musician’s name last night (April 3).
“Online blogs and social media are once again to blame for the spread of false news reports, which other media outlets have also shared regarding a public figure,” said Mayna Nevarez, president of public relations firm Nevarez Communications. Mayna continues, saying that one unreliable website’s report gained steam through social media, but not on merit: “The reports circulating regarding Daddy Yankee’s declaration of homosexuality was falsely written by an online outlet known for fabricating false information and spreading it through social media sites.” (Hollywood Life)
According to reports, a viral attack on Yankee has been in place over the last few weeks.
For weeks, the Spanish-language media and bloggers have been working themselves into a lather about the sexual orientation of Daddy Yankee, the reggaeton king known for his pumped-up macho stage presence and raunchy musical declarations like “Gasolina.” The blather reached a crescendo Wednesday after photos of a man resembling Daddy Yankee kissing another man surfaced on the ‘net and were picked up and reprinted by other outlets. That set off another round of innuendo: according to some accounts, Daddy Yankee released a statement acknowledging that he is gay, and asking the media to respect his and his family’s privacy. (Los Angeles Times)
In the fake statement, Daddy firmly stood behind having feelings for the same sex.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times and other outlets reported that the “Gasolina” singer had issued a statement on the matter affirming his homosexuality. “I am a human being like any other, with virtues and defects, and I don’t believe that this is a defect,” the Times quoted the musician as stating, a statement Nevarez denies. (Billboard)
Some media outlets took a close examination at the alleged Yankee photo and pointed out key faults with it.
First, in the picture, a man is shown kissing another male. A close-up reveals that the picture is highly photoshopped. You can see that the white sunglasses are literally pasted into the picture. The edit lines are clearly obvious. Thereafter, a statement was circulated online. That statement, however, was never issued by Daddy Yankee. Throughout the day, the singer has been posting quotations. One was from Albert Einstein, which stated via translation, “I fear the day when technology exceeds our humanity.” (LA Late)
