More Bad News for Haiti As Wyclef Jean's Charity Goes Bankrupt

Photo credit: Jorge Cruz/AP

More bad news arrived for the long-suffering people of Haiti after it was revealed that Hip Hop superstar Wyclef Jean's charitable organization to help the people of the island nation has crumbled beneath a mass of debt and alleged mismanagement.

The organization named  Yéle was originally founded by Jean, the former member of Grammy-Award winning Hip Hop group The Fugees, in 2003 as a way to help the people of his homeland. The organization did not receive much attention until after the devastating January 2010 earthquake that rocked the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, crippling the entire city and leaving an estimated 250,000 dead, with millions more left injured and/or homeless.

Jean claimed to have raised more than one million US dollars for the charity in only twenty-four hours after pleading for donations via his official Twitter and Facebook accounts following the horrific disaster. Now allegations have come to light that the charitable donations given to the organization were mismanaged, to the tune of almost $16 million US. 

In one alleged incident, it is claimed that money for the Yéle charity—a reported $30,000—was used to fly troubled actress Lindsay Lohan from New Jersey to a charity-raising event in Chicago. The event only raised some $66,000. Another claim is that Jean brought actor Matt Damon and a host of his other celebrity friends to Haiti via private jet at a cost of almost $70,000. 

Jean—who made an unsuccessful bid for the Haitian presidency in 2010—has remained tight-lipped about the closing of the charity as well as the allegations. He directed followers on his official Twitter feed to read his statement posted to his Facebook account. . 

All of this is indeed sad news for the people of Haiti, who continue to suffer in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake as well as the effects of hurricanes, tropical storms and outbreaks of diseases, such as cholera. Some 300,000 people still reside in what was initially designed as "temporary" housing on the outskirts of the city, tens of thousands of tents that have since been battered by the elements. Electricity and potable running water are extremely scarce. 

Although not as grandiose, a percentage of the sales from my book Evangeline, Alive & Well: A Story of Hope in Haiti have been earmarked to help the people of the country, in whatever small way possible. The book is also available for Kindle readers here:

Drawn This Way: Tony Bennett's Sketch of Lady GaGa to Sell for Top $$$

"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn this way. By Tony Bennett, no less..."

Lady GaGa might be quoting Jessica Rabbit's classic line in the cartoon Who Framed Roger Rabbit? "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn this way," after the legendary crooner Tony Bennett sketched a nude drawing of the superstar singer, which is now for sale on eBay!

The 85-year-old "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" singer is also a highly talented and successful artist as well as an avid art collector, with a collection worth millions of dollars. The unlikely duo met when Bennett filmed a cameo appearance on Lady GaGa's recent Thanksgiving Day special that aired on CBS. The two recorded a rendition of the standard "The Lady Is a Tramp", made popular by both Bennett and Frank Sinatra. GaGa (real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta), 25, spoke recently about posing in the nude for Bennett. "I walked in and said "Well Tony here we are," and I dropped my robe and I got into position. I felt shy and thought “It’s Tony Bennett, why am I naked?"

The starting bid for the original charcoal etching starts at $5000 on online auction site eBay. Also included in the package is a photograph taken by the famed fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz. All proceeds from the sale will go to Exploring the Arts, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Bennett and his wife Susan Benedetto, which strengthens the role of the arts in public high school education.  Money raised will also benefit Lady Gaga's youth support charity the Born This Way Foundation.

The auction closes on Monday, December 19.

Pink Friday: Nicki Minaj Barbie Doll Makes Debut

Rap superstar Nicki Minaj is set to be immortalized...as a Barbie Doll!

The chameleon-like "Superbass" singer, who has a penchant for wearing outrageous wigs and outfits (like her infamous pink chicken-wing KFC bling necklace), will see her unique likeness  auctioned off to raise money for charity.

The one-of-a-kind doll is styled from Nicki's appearance on her top selling Pink Friday CD, and features Ms. Minaj decked out in a cotton-candy pink wig, diamond bling necklace and a glittery couture gown, designed exclusively for her!

The doll will be auctioned off for CharityBuzz.com, with the proceeds going to Project Angel Food, a non-profit organization that provides meals for people suffering with HIV or AIDS. The doll will be on display at the Divine Design Gala at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles for five days starting Wednesday, December 7. Bids will be received through Dec. 19 with an opening bid starting at $1,000.

Ms. Minaj is thrilled at the honor, telling press at the Billboard's Women in Music in New York City on Friday, ""It's just a one of a kind, limited edition for charity, and so I never thought Mattel would even pay attention to me. For me this is a very major moment, because it just shows that you can come from nothing and still be a force in the main world, a business woman, and hopefully a mogul one day."

On Every Corner...

Starbucks has come up with a plan to stimulate the US economy by asking for $5 donations from every patron as a part of its "Jobs for the USA" program. I have a better way to stimulate the economy... stop charging $20 for a super-duper Venti frappuchino muglioso!!! (Not a real product at Starbucks)

Starbucks to Begin Collecting Donations to Help Economy