PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Wyclef Jean is in hiding after receiving death threats over his proposed bid to run for president of Haiti.
In a series of e-mails Tuesday to the Associated Press, the 37-year-old singer said he was currently in a secret location in the Caribbean country.
The death threats come as Jean awaits a ruling from Haiti's electoral commission on whether he can legally run in the November election. There has been debate over whether he meets the residency requirements to launch his presidential bid.
Jean, a native of Haiti, announced his political plans earlier this month. His bid was immediately questioned by Sean Penn, who has been active in the country ever since January's devastating earthquake. The actor, who has been running a 55,000-person tent camp through his J/P Haitian Relief Organization, alleged the former Fugees star was missing in action and mishandled earthquake-relief donations.
"This is somebody who's going to receive an enormous amount of support from the United States, and I have to say I'm very suspicious of it," Penn said on Larry King Live. "I'm not accusing Wyclef Jean of being an opportunist; I don't know the man."
The Oscar winner added, "One of the reasons I don't know very much about Wyclef Jean is that I haven't seen or heard anything of him in these last six months that I've been in Haiti."
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