SHARE
COPY LINK

OFFBEAT

Sweden-bound Fugee mistaken for refugee

The Fugees star Pras Michel was detained and questioned at a Paris airport on Monday night while on his way to Sweden, Aftonbladet reports.

Sweden-bound Fugee mistaken for refugee

The American signer was scheduled to appear at a Democrats Abroad event in Stockholm on Tuesday to drum up votes for Obama, as well as sharing a stage with Sweden’s DeDe Lopez.

According to Brian Owens, co-chair of the Democrats Abroad event, Michel “forgot his passport in his hotel room.”

“Apparently when he arrived at the airport without his passport, the authorities were alerted. There was some speculation as to who he was and why he trying to travel to Sweden,” Owens told The Local.

DeDe Lopez she waited several hours in Paris for her detained colleague. “He had lost his mobile phone so he couldn’t call anyone who could help him,” Lopez told Aftonbladet.

“When he said he was a close friend of Obama they thought he was nuts and he was detained. They thought he was an illegal refugee,” said Lopez.

Although released the next day, when he flew on to Moscow, Michel missed the planned Democrats Abroad event.

“He was so frustrated; he really wanted to help Obama ahead of the election,” said Lopez.

Despite the singer’s unfortunate delay, Owens is still hoping that Michel will be able to make a surprise appearance at their next registration event at Tully’s Café in Stockholm on Saturday:

“We are really hoping he will be able to make it to Saturday, he’s a big supporter of Obama.”