Ja Rule confirms Fyre Festival guests are safe and have departed the island
As the disastrous events of Fyre Festival unfolded on Thursday and over the weekend, people on the internet wondered, "Where is Ja?" a reference to a Dave Chappelle stand-up bit. Ja Rule was one of the festival's co-founders.
Rapper 50 Cent joined in on the fun as well and posted a photo on Instagram of President Donald Trump and text that said, "Appoint Ja Rule as Secretary of Festivals."
Ja Rule apologized on Twitter and confirmed that all of the festival's guests are now off the island in the Bahamas where it was supposed to take place. On Sunday, the rapper said, "Relieved to share that all guest are safe, and have been sent the form to apply for a refund. Our deepest apologies."
On Friday, he emphasized on Twitter that the festival was "NOT A SCAM" and that he was "heartbroken" after things went wrong.
The chaos of Fyre Festival became a viral story after it was revealed that guests who paid up to $200,000 to attend the would-be luxury music festival on a private island were left stranded in the Bahamas and in Miami before the event was ultimately canceled. Guests who did arrive at the private island in Exuma, Bahamas were greeted by spartan tents and gravel and fed slices of cheese and sandwich bread, though they were originally promised celebrity chefs. Some guests who were already at Exuma were not permitted to leave the airport and allegedly locked in.
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism issued a statement saying: "We are extremely disappointed in the way the events unfolded yesterday with the Fyre Festival. We offer a heartfelt apology to all who traveled to our country for this event."
Visitors at the music event called it a fraud. On its website, the Fyre Festival described itself a "cultural moment created from a blend of music, art, and food," and an ad for the event said it featured "the best in food, art, music and adventure." Blink-182, Tyga and Desiigner were supposed to perform.
"Due to unforeseen and extenuating circumstances, Fyre Festival has been fully postponed," the festival tweeted on Friday. "After assessing the situation this morning and looking at best options for our guests, we cannot move forward as we hoped we could. At this time, we are working tirelessly to get flights scheduled and get all travelers home safely."
