Rapper Wyclef Jean, who campaigned last year to become president of Haiti, was shot in the Caribbean country on Saturday, reports the Associated Press.
Jean was shot in the hand late Saturday evening in Port-au-Prince, his publicist said Sunday. The rapper was treated in the hospital and released.
“He is doing well,” spokeswoman Cindy Tanenbaum told CNN, adding that the wound was superficial. Tanenbaum didn’t provide details on why Jean was shot.
The Haitian hip-hop singer was visiting the nation to raise support for presidential candidate Michel Martelly.
According to Jean’s Twitter account, he is holding up fine.
“We have spoken to Wyclef, he is ok,” Jean’s management wrote on his Twitter page. “Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.”
Jean, a solo artist, was born in Haiti and attempted to become leader of the country last year in the wake of the country’s devastating earthquake. In August, Jean filed papers to run in the nation’s presidential election, but was criticized by many for this decision.
Actor and political activist Sean Penn slammed Jean for seeking office.
“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 in August.
Arcade Fire’s Win Butler argued that Jean shouldn’t be eligible because the rapper hadn’t been living in Haiti. Jean’s bid was ultimately rejected because he failed to meet the residency requirement which stipulated candidates must have lived in Haiti for five years prior to the Nov. 28 election.