Sponsors leave, radio stations refuse to play his songs until this is cleared

Feb 11, 2009 10:22 GMT  ·  By
Sponsors drop Chris Brown, radio stations will not play his music following Rihanna incident
   Sponsors drop Chris Brown, radio stations will not play his music following Rihanna incident

Until not long ago, Chris Brown was one of the most appreciated stars of the young generation, his music getting massive airplay and his name weighing heavily in campaigns from major brands. Since the Sunday incident, when he reportedly beat girlfriend Rihanna, Chris Brown has become the persona non-grata of showbiz, as several media outlets are reporting.

Just yesterday, close on the heels of the revelation that Rihanna suffered a broken nose, lip, contusions and bite marks in the altercation, Wrigley’s Doublemint dropped Brown as its spokesperson. Today, it’s the Got Milk national campaign that no longer wants to be associated with the alleged young abuser, as TMZ informs. Brown just does not fit anymore with the healthy and responsible message of the campaign, it has been said.

“The Milk Mustache campaign is taking the allegations against Chris Brown very seriously. We are very proud and protective of the image of the Milk Mustache campaign and the responsible message it sends to teens. Mr. Brown’s ad was launched last fall and is scheduled to end this week.” the Got Milk people share in a statement just released. Just like Wrigley’s, they too do not wish to have their name associated with an alleged girlfriend beater, as some have already started calling him.

Meanwhile, Perez Hilton points out, radio stations across the US are giving in to what their listeners are saying, and have stopped playing any of Brown’s songs on air. WAKS FM 96.5 was among the first stations to do so, following complaints from the listeners that it was showing support for Brown by playing his music. “[People] were outraged at this alleged behavior and wondered why we were continuing to support his music. I agreed and immediately pulled all Chris Brown songs from my show until this thing shakes out in the legal system.” Java Joel, the station’s evening host, explains in a press statement.

And, from what reports in the media are saying, this is only the beginning. While Brown is still in hiding, sources within the police claim that Rihanna is cooperating in the ongoing investigation. The singer canceled her Malaysia performance on Friday, as well as her upcoming 21st birthday bash that her label had planned to throw for her. Her condition is “well,” her grandmother tells the media, but she is not looking on making any appearances or comments regarding the incident in the following days.