Not many people know that Steven Seagal is 1) relevant, or 2) a blues singer and guitar player. Apparently he is both, and on the morning of June 17th, his band was announced as the headlining act of Augustibluus, a blues festival in Estonia celebrating its 20th year. It prompted a huge outcry among Estonians, particularly because Seagal previously vocalized his support for Putin’s annexation of the Crimea — specifically, he called the invasion “perfectly reasonable.” (Estonians, who were formerly invaded by the Soviet Union, aren’t historically fond of Russian aggression.)
Later that day, pro-Russian separatists shot down a passenger jet using surface-to-air missiles that were likely supplied by Russia. The next day, according to the Guardian, Seagal was yanked from the lineup via press release:
“We
hoped the Estonian public would first and foremost see Steven Seagal as an actor and a musician. It turns out what they saw was rather a politician and a henchman,” festival director Indrek Ditman said in a press release. “To many in Estonia, it came as a major surprise that the action movie hero is a blues musician. Likewise, the organisers and numerous others were unpleasantly surprised by his political views and public statements.”
This may throw a wrench into Seagal’s plans to move to Russia, along with Gerard Depardieu.
[The Guardian]
[Image via screenshot]
—
>> Follow Tina Nguyen (@Tina_Nguyen) on Twitter