Jennifer Lopez Faces Suit for Canceling Cyprus Gig

(July 13) -- Even for a fading pop diva, some gigs just aren't worth the hassle.

Jennifer Lopez is facing a $40 million lawsuit from a Cyprus hotelier for pulling the plug on a scheduled performance intended to inaugurate the Cratos Premium Hotel and Casino in the northern tip of the war-divided island.

Cyprus has been split into a Greek-speaking south and Turkish-controlled north since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the island following a short-lived coup by supporters of union with Greece. The dispute remains one of the world's most intractable diplomatic conundrums, with almost every action -- even a seemingly innocuous concert -- interpreted politically.

Lopez's initial agreement to stage the show on July 24 -- 36 years almost to the day after Turkish paratroopers were dropped on the island to spearhead the invasion -- sparked unprecedented controversy.

In the north, Turkish Cypriots celebrated, heaping praise on the star for accepting the gig.

In the south, though, indignant Greek Cypriots set off a sweeping online campaign, billing J.Lo's planned performance as an insult to the thousands of people who were forced to flee northern Cyprus, a breakaway self-declared state recognized only by Ankara. The rest of the island joined the European Union in 2004.

"The Turks go to a great length to secure support from people like you in order to promote their political ambitions and objectives," read an open protest letter carried by the Cyprus Action Network of America. "Does your charitable work and status permit you to give credibility to Turkish rapists, thieves, invaders, occupiers of our stolen properties?" the letter asked.

Greek-American lobby groups, including the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, also joined the fray, and a Facebook page -- emblazoned with a status picture of a war-divided, red-and-white map of the United States -- drew more than 21,000 angry swipes.

The result? Lopez dropped the gig rather than further inflaming political controversy on the war-ravaged island.

Lopez, said a statement posted on her website, "would never knowingly support any state, country, institution or regime that was associated with any form of human rights abuse."

"After a full review of the relevant circumstances in Cyprus, it was the decision of her advisers to withdraw from the appearance. This was a team decision that reflects our sensitivity to the political realities of the region."

The cancellation may cost Lopez, who is already struggling to jump start her career after a three-year acting hiatus.

"If she does not show up for the concert, we will begin a procedure in the courts to claim $35 to $40 million in damages," said Murat Bozoglu, the Turkish-speaking head executive of the Cratos Premium Hotel and Casino.

"The cancellation is not covered by any clause in the contract she signed with us."

Married to singer Marc Anthony, Lopez has largely put her career on hold, dedicating her time to raising twins Max and Emme, struggling to accept that her star in waning. Her comeback single, "Louboutins," failed to fly off the shelves, and her long-term contract with Sony Music ended earlier this year, replaced by a less lucrative deal with Island Def Jam, according to the Daily Beast. Lopez's latest film, "The Back-Up Plan," was released in April to tepid interest and lackadaisical reviews.

Lopez is hardly the first celebrity to stir controversy with private gigs. In recent years, Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles and Timbaland have performed before exclusive crowds hosted -- and paid for -- by relatives of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. Sting was slammed for performing an exclusive gig in October for the favored daughter of Uzbekistan's tyrannical leader, Islam Karimov.

Lopez's performance, which she had originally planned to link to a family celebration of her 41st birthday on Cyprus, would have come with an estimated $3 million paycheck. Some Hollywood gossip blogs suggest Lopez is considering a countersuit against the organizers for the "great distress" caused.