The Weeknd Demands $8.5 Million Payday That Kanye West Was Promised For Coachella: Report

The Weeknd believes his fee for performing at Coachella should be equivalent to what show organizers were willing to pay Kanye West, Page Six reported. 

It was reported on Sunday that West would no longer be headlining the show, forcing them to find a last minute replacement with the same appeal. West had already agreed to an $8 million sum to perform plus a $500,000 production fee, the publication noted.

After West dropped out, the organizers were pleased to announce Wednesday that The Weeknd along with Swedish House Mafia would be taking the “Donda” rapper’s spot for the shows on Sunday, April 17 and Sunday, April 24. Then a source told Page Six that the deal was up in the air because of money issues.

“The Weeknd came in at short notice to take Kanye’s top spot,” the source said. “But Phil Anschutz [who owns the Coachella Festival through AEG Live] wanted to hold on to Kanye’s money and pay The Weeknd far less, just a few million. The festival would pocket the rest.”

Apparently, negotiations between The Weeknd’s management company and Coachella organizers heated up this week as the music festival struggled to secure the “Flashing Lights” star as a definite replacement. 

“Even after Coachella announced the new lineup on Wednesday, a deal wasn’t in place for The Weeknd, who threatened to pull out at an hour’s notice if he didn’t get the same deal as Kanye,” the source continued.

“Finally, on Wednesday — faced with the prospect of a second headline act pulling out of Coachella at the last minute — Anschutz’s company caved and agreed to pay The Weeknd the same money.”

A source confirmed to CNN Monday that West dropped out due to ongoing drama in both his personal and professional life. The 44-year-old rapper has been engaged in a public battle with his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, as she moved on to a new relationship with Pete Davidson.

The “Jesus Walks” singer also got into an online altercation with Trevor Noah that led to him being banned from Instagram for 24 hours over a racial slur. With all these incidents, plus his threatening to not perform at Coachella without a formal apology from Billie Eilish following her alleged criticism of rapper Travis Scott, it’s not exactly surprising that he isn’t performing any longer.

Ye was also canceled from performing at the 2022 Grammy Awards as he had been scheduled. The rapper didn’t attend the event at all, but did win two Grammys. Travis Scott is also not appearing at Coachella. The rapper hasn’t put on any major shows since the Astroworld tragedy in November resulted in the deaths of 10 people, including a nine-year-old child. 

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival kicks off in southern California beginning Friday, April 15. Featured performers include Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby, and a slew of others. 

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