Still mourning the loss of his friend, actor Michael K. Williams who was found inside his Brooklyn home Monday afternoon following a suspected overdose, singer Akon is now facing backlash after comments he made to TMZ stating that in his view, "rich people go through more issues than the poor." A real "more money, more problems" moment for the artist, who is now being dragged online by fans for his odd take.
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"He was actually a really good friend, amazing person, super funny, super talented," Akon told TMZ. “It’s definitely a sad day for everybody.”
“There’s just too many of us going down like that and I think when moments like this happen we all gotta reflect because we’re all going through things in our lives... and making decisions that actually affect not only us and our life, but everyone that surrounds and looks up to us,” Akon added. “The famous and the rich go through more issues than the poor. You know when they say ‘More money, more problems,’ that’s a real thing.”
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A sampling of responses to Akon's take ranged from understanding with offers to help with his struggles, enlightened realizations, and poignant clips from HBO's The Wire, which Williams starred in beginning in 2002.
Akon also shared his belief that struggles with mental health and addiction in the celebrity sphere are overlooked in general due to the nature of the business.
The entertainment field, he says, "creates this environment where everyone’s wearing a mask, no one tells you what’s really going on in your life, so real friends can’t even really advise you. Because we don’t really know what’s happening... we put on this facade of success but yet behind the face there’s so much happening,” Akon explained.
In the end, he urges viewers to "check up on each other... make sure everybody’s sound, you know, state of mind is intact, family’s good, and figure it out,” he says. “Just reach out and check on each other, man, because we never really know what we’re going through.”
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Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-8255.
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