Clinton Benoit is standing with Anie Alerte after hearing about the reported verbal exchange between the beloved singer and a promoter in France. Though Benoit said he does not know all the details of the dispute, he condemned the insult directed at Alerte as disrespectful and unacceptable.
“I was heartbroken when I heard what was said to our beloved Anie Alerte,” Benoit told HMI Magazine. “She does not deserve that. I want to offer her my sincere apology for the hurt and humiliation this may have caused.”
Benoit said the incident reflects a broader problem: the way female artists are belittled in public and on social media. As a father of two daughters, he said, hearing a well-dressed man use degrading language toward a woman was especially painful.
“There was no class in the way this promoter spoke on his own stage,” Benoit said. “Our female artists deserve respect and dignity.”
The reported insult has also prompted questions about the music community’s response. Benoit urged fellow musicians and industry figures to speak up when an artist is publicly demeaned.
“We talk about unity and say l’union fait la force, but we cannot look away when one of our own is insulted,” he said. “Anie is our sister and fellow musician. She deserves our support.”
Benoit also asked why Haitian artists are not always afforded the respect given to major performers from elsewhere. The incident, he said, should lead the industry to reflect on how it treats and defends its own talent.
“Anie, words cannot diminish your talent or your worth,” Benoit said. “You have the support of people who believe you deserve better.”
By the HMI Magazine Cultural Staff
