Akon addresses the passing of Michael K. Williams.
On September 6, the talented Brooklyn actor Michael Kenneth Williams passed away as he was found dead in his Williamsburg, New York Apartment. While the fans and celebrities react to the news and pay homage to “The Wire” Actor, TMZ got to Akon who revealed that he was close to Michael, but hadn’t seen him since the pandemic.
“He was actually a really good friend, an amazing person, super funny, super talented, So it’s definitely a sad day for everybody,” says Akon. Then Akon was asked about what does his death meant to him, to which he says, “It’s just too many of us going down like that and I think when moments like this happen we all gotta reflect because we all going through things in our lives, things that making decisions that actually affect not only us and our life but everyone that surrounds us and look up to us.”
The musician told TMZ that he hadn’t seen Williams since the outbreak began, which further added to the sorrow. Akon then stressed the necessity of checking in on loved ones and making sure they’re okay, claiming that many individuals, particularly the wealthy and famous, are hurting behind closed doors.
He continues, “This business creates this like environment where everyone’s wearing a mask, no one tells you what really is going on in your life So real friends can’t really even advise you because they don’t really know what’s happening. We put on this facade of success.”
Then Akon made a statement that divided the Social Media. “The famous and the rich go through more issues than the poor,” said Akon. “You know, when they say, ‘More money, more problems,’ that’s a real thing. So we got to check up on each other man, make sure everybody’s sound, the state of mind is intact, family’s good.”
Akon also addressed substance abuse, urging addicts to seek out healthier coping mechanisms; however, it was his remarks about “rich people” issues that drew backlash online. Part Twitter users lambasted Akon for being out-of-touch and tone-deaf, while others offered to take some of his money to help him with any issues he might be having.
Watch his interview below.
[VIA]
