Puerto Rican reggaeton star Ozuna claims to be the victim of an extortion attempt.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Ozuna wrote that the extortioner was attempting to use an “intimate video” of the Se Preparó singer when he was a minor.
Ozuna’s lawyer Antonio Sagardía told WAPA.tv that the El Farsante singer was “doing something intimate alone,” and did not elaborate. He also said Ozuna was 16 at the time of the video.
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Dimelo VI, the 26-year-old singer’s label management, said they filed a complaint on Ozuna’s behalf.
“Our attorney confirmed yesterday that urban artist Ozuna was extorted through an intimate video filmed when he was a minor. This video was edited with the objective of causing even more harm,” the statement read.
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Ozuna issued his own statement, saying, “What happened was a mistake of the past. Like many young people, I made a mistake, fueled by ignorance.”
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The La Modelo singer continued: “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. 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.”
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According to Puerto Rican news outlet Primera Hora, Sagardía said the extortioner threatening Ozuna with the video was the late Puerto Rican rapper Kevin Fret.
“I went with Ozuna to the Department of Justice. We met with prosecutor Freire (Luis Freire Borges), who at the time was the director of the Cyber Crimes Unit, and with more police personnel, because there was an extortion attempt from another person, who was Kevin Fret,” Sagardía said during a conference with Puerto Rican media on Tuesday.
Fret, one of the few well-known openly gay Latin trap artists, was shot and killed in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the age of 24 on Jan. 11.
Sagardía said that Ozuna was not suspected by police in Fret’s death.
“One thing is blackmail and another is murder,” Sagardía told WAPA.tv. “Ozuna had nothing to do with this death.”
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Fret allegedly threatened Ozuna on different social media platforms that he would release the video. The alleged extortion dates back to 2017.
Primera Hora also reports that Lt. Col. Rolando Trinidad told the publication 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.”
His lawyer confirmed that Ozuna paid Fret $50,000 to keep the video hidden, before reporting the extortion to the FBI offices in Miami to file a complaint against Fret after the alleged payment. At the time of the alleged extortion, Fret was living in Miami.