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A number of celebrities have been criticised for attending a festival in Saudi Arabia – allegedly accepting six-figure sums to go to the event.
Hollywood stars including Armie Hammer, Ryan Phillipe, Ed Westwick and Wilmer Valderrama were among those at MDL Beast, a three-day festival in Riyadh that drew hundreds of thousands of visitors.
But the high-profile guests, which included Instagram stars and former Victoria’s Secret models, have been criticised for promoting an event in a kingdom under fire for its human rights record.
And it comes amid continued focus on the death of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
On Monday, five people were sentenced to death over the 2018 killing, which saw Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman draw international condemnation because several Saudi agents who worked directly for him were involved.
Amid this backdrop, MDL Beast was designed to boost the country’s economy and improve its image abroad.
More than 70 world-famous DJs, including David Guetta and Steve Aoki, were invited to perform across five stages to the backdrop of surrealist performances.
Actor Armie Hammer said the event “felt like a cultural shift. A change. Like Woodstock in the 1960s” in an Instagram post.
Journalist Yashar Ali said in response: “Did you find Jamal Khashoggi’s body while you were there?”
Speaking about his performance, Guetta said: “It really meant the world to me to be here in Saudi Arabia – we’re making history.
“I see the enthusiasm of all the youth of the country and to see this happiness in their eyes and to be part of that moment is a privilege.”
Diet Prada, an Instagram account that has amassed more than a million followers by highlighting instances of plagiarism and cultural appropriation, criticised the celebrity attendees.
The account accused them of “cashing big fat checks in exchange for #content creation (aka propaganda) to rehabilitate the image of Saudi Arabia”.
It added: “According to anonymous sources, six-figure sums were offered for attendance and geo-tagged posts.
The entertainment authority that licensed the festival said some people had been compensated for promoting the event, but denied such high sums were paid to individuals.
Ryan Phillippe, Armie Hammer and Mohammed Al Turki attend the MDL Beast Festival
Actor Ryan Phillippe hit out at those criticising him on Instagram.
In response to one, he said: “If you used your infantile logic, no one should live or go anywhere. Grow up.”
To another, Phillippe responded: “It’s funny to me tool. You think I really care. I’m bored and s******* on uninformed holier than thous.”
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