May 13th 2024.
According to Swedish authorities, Dutch artist Joost Klein may be facing charges after his disqualification from the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. The 26-year-old musician, who was set to perform at the Malmo Arena in Sweden, was shockingly axed from the competition following a complaint of inappropriate behavior.
Klein's props were already set up on stage when the announcement was made just hours before the Grand Final. Reports later surfaced that he was being investigated for his behavior towards a female production crew member. The Dutch broadcasters released a statement expressing their disappointment with the decision, stating that Klein's punishment seemed disproportionate. They explained that the investigation stemmed from a "threatening gesture" he made at the camera, which was a result of his clear indication that he did not want to be filmed.
However, it has now been reported that Klein may be charged for making illegal threats. It was also revealed that he had already left Sweden, with sources claiming that he became "very stressed" about the photographers and asked them to stop filming. The Associated Press stated that Swedish police have concluded their investigation and a decision is expected to be made within the next few weeks. An officer in charge of the case told Swedish broadcaster SVT that they anticipate a prosecution.
Details about the alleged incident and the threats Klein is accused of making have not been made public. In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that Klein would not be allowed to compete in the Grand Final while the legal process is ongoing. The EBU also mentioned that the Dutch artist's song, "Europapa," has seen a surge in popularity on Spotify, despite his absence from the final.
This year's Eurovision Song Contest has been marred by controversy, with fans threatening to boycott the event due to Israel's participation. Many have urged artists like Olly Alexander and Bambie Thug to boycott the competition as well, in light of the ongoing war with Hamas. Klein himself seemed to clash with Israeli performer Eden Golan during a press conference, covering his face with a Dutch flag and questioning her about compromising the safety of other contestants.
Despite the turmoil surrounding the event, the Grand Final still went on, with Switzerland's Nemo taking home the victory and the UK's entry, Olly Alexander, finishing in 18th place. While the outcome of Klein's case remains uncertain, his song "Europapa" has still managed to make its mark on the global music scene, rising to number 38 on the Global Spotify charts with over 50 million streams. The Netherlands' Songfestival, which sends acts to Eurovision, released a statement expressing their disagreement with Klein's disqualification, stating that it was not proportional to the incident that occurred.
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