Pop star Filipp Kirkorov has made his first TV appearance since he and other prominent Russian celebrities faced a powerful conservative backlash for attending a “nearly naked” party.
In mid-December, the singer and other famous stars and bloggers sparked a major sc andal when they attended a “nearly naked” party at a Moscow nightclub, wearing only lingerie, mesh and leather.
Influential pro-war bloggers ridiculed the partygoers for flaunting their wealth and debauchery during wartime, and the Kremlin reportedly sought to channel this anger as a way to shift Russians' attention away from looming problems on the battlefield and in the economy.
Despite issuing an on-camera apology for attending the “nearly naked” party, Kirkorov was effectively banned from appearing on state television following the scandal, and media reports suggested he was among some 50 musicians who were blacklisted in Russia's entertainment industry.
However, less than a week after he performed for Russian soldiers in occupied Ukraine, the pop star seems to have redeemed himself and is once again appearing on state television.
Kirkorov was shown in an ad for the music reality game show “Maski,” which airs on the state-controlled broadcaster NTV.
An equivalent of The Masked Singer game show, “Maski” is the highest-rated entertainment program on Russian television, according to TV critic Arina Borodina.
Kirkorov is a longtime member and the current chairman of the judges’ panel at Maski, Borodina said.
Russian authorities allegedly expect other pop stars to visit occupied Ukraine to make up for their transgressions, the investigative news outlet Agentstvo reported, citing an anonymous source close to those who attended December's “nearly naked” party.
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