Kelly Clarkson Cancels Controversial Tobacco Sponsorship

One day after singer Kelly Clarkson indicated that her April 29 concert in Jakarta, Indonesia would continue as scheduled with a controversial cigarette company sponsorship, the concert promoter announced that the sponsorship is being pulled amid protests from fans and anti-smoking advocates, the Associated Press reported April 22.

TV Guide reported April 21 that Clarkson, who says she has never been a smoker, had written on her blog that she knew nothing about the sponsorship from Indonesian tobacco company PT Djarum before criticism from fans and anti-smoking advocates poured in, but that she would not “cancel on my fans.” The next day, the company promoting Clarkson’s show announced it has been able to reach a final agreement with the cigarette maker to remove the sponsorship, adding that all promotional ads involving the company would be pulled within a couple of days.

Tobacco advertising in general has continued unabated in Indonesia, offering a stark contrast with a crackdown on tobacco promotion in many other countries. About one-third of the Indonesian population smokes, and one-quarter of adolescent males ages 13 to 15 are regular smokers.

Anti-tobacco advocates had lashed out at Clarkson for the cigarette company’s sponsorship, saying that if she proceeded with the show she would be helping the company market cigarettes to children. A group of the singer’s fans also had launched a website in recent days in an effort to urge her to drop the sponsorship.