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Puerto Rican reggae singer Ozuna alleges in a new statement that he was the victim of extortion by the late Kevin Fret, who was seen as the first openly gay Latin trap artist.
Ozuna’s label and management office, Dimelo Vi, sent a statement via his publicist to E! News about the extortion claims.
Ozuna’s team “confirms the information” reported on a number of Puerto Rican and now American sites that “Ozuna was extorted with an intimate video where he was a minor. This video was also edited in order to cause more damage.” It continued, “The necessary legal measures are being taken, since sending and publishing videos of minors and possessing them constitute state and federal crimes.”
It is not immediately clear how old Ozuna was at the time of the video and the contents of the video itself. His lawyer Antonio Sagardía told WAPA.tv that Ozuna was “doing something intimate alone,” but did not elaborate. He said Ozuna was 16 at the time of the purported video, but that cannot be independently verified.
The 26-year-old singer apologized to friends, family and fans in Dimelo Vi’s statement.
“What happened was a mistake of the past. Like many young people, I made a mistake, fueled by ignorance. Today, I’m not only sorry for what happened, but I condemn it. That’s why I looked for help and I am certain everything will be cleared,” he said. “Likewise, I’m following the process and am always willing to collaborate with authorities to prevent the evil that resulted from this big mistake. More importantly, I ask my family for forgiveness. They are my life’s priority and I will continue to fight for them always.”
Fret was shot and killed in Puerto Rico on Jan. 10 while riding his motorcycle early in the morning. On Tuesday, Sagardía told Puerto Rican news site Primera Hora that the Ozuna had nothing at all to do with the singer’s death. Ozuna’s alleged extortion dates back to 2017.
Fret purportedly threatened Ozuna on different social media platforms that he would release the video. According to Primera Hora, Ozuna transferred around $50,000 into Fret’s account. Both Primera Hora and El Vocero, another local site, report that Ozuna went to FBI offices in Miami to file a complaint against Fret after the alleged payment.
Sagardía denounced any connection between Ozuna’s extortion and Fret’s murder. He said in a video published by Rapéton, “One thing is blackmail and another is murder. Ozuna had nothing to do with this death.”
Lieutenant Colonel Rolando Trinidad told Primera Hora that the police “are still in the process of requesting information from their email accounts and we are not in a position to cite any of them until all the information we have to analyze has arrived.”
E! News has not obtained or seen the video Ozuna and his management company mention in their statements. We have reached out to the FBI office in Miami, Ozuna’s legal team and Puerto Rican authorities.