Webtickets tells TVwithThinus that it has now halted all ticket sales for the controversial International Women in Media Conference 2018 organised by the 21st Century Group that saw Bonang Matheba bail after Taraji P. Henson slammed the event that listed her inclusion as fake and false advertising, and with Halle Berry also disappearing after her initial top billing talent inclusion.
The
Women in Media Conference 2018 that announced Bonang Matheba, the Empire star
Taraji P. Henson, Halle Berry, Amanda du Pont, Connie Ferguson, Ashanti, Carte
Blanche’s Claire Mawisa, Salamina Mosese and Thabile Ngwato as some of the
headliners for the 2-day event purported to take place on 5 and 6 September at
the Sandton Convention Centre, imploded on Wednesday following Taraji P. Henson's shocking revelation that she doesn't have any knowledge of the event.
Taraji P. Henson,
who visited South Africa previously as part of a publicity blitz in mid-2016
for Fox Networks Group UK & Africa's FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C
black 201) channel, said that she is working on Empire, isn't part of the
conference, and wants her name and likeness removed from it.
Taraji
P. Henson on social media said "False! I will not be there. Never heard of this event and was
never invited. Please remove my name from this event because it is false,"
and that "I am working on Empire. It is impossible for me to be there. I
hate that this organisation is misleading my fans."
She said her
"team would never agree to anything on my behalf without me knowing. That
is not how I run my business."
Amidts
growing public embarrassment, the organisers then removed Taraji P. Henson's name,
followed by Halle Berry’s disappearance without any explanation.
Bonang Matheba then
pulled out, saying she "had been
attracted by the event's apparent women's empowerment principles" but that
"as there has been no official feedback or clarity from the organisers
following today's allegations", she will no longer be participating.
Tickets
with an eye-watering price of R1250 went on sale for the conference that said
it want to help women in the business of film and TV production, the art of
acting and presenting and "how to make it in Hollywood", with M-Net's 1Magic
(DStv 103) channel listed as the event's official "media partner".
With
the Sandton Convention Centre’s events calendar that by Thursday afternoon
showed no entries on 5 and 6 September for the conference, Webtickets continued
to list the event by Thursday afternoon on its website as including "international media mogul Taraji P. Henson".
While
21st Century Group in a statement late Wednesday night said "no
tickets were sold, and no tickets will be sold, it's strictly by invitation",
several people said they had already bought the expensive tickets.
On
Thursday Webtickets told TVwithThinus that "sales have been closed in the
interim".
Webtickets didn't want to say how many tickets had already been sold
and said "we cannot disclose this information as it is confidential between us
and our client".
Asked
why Webtickets continues to list and include Taraji P. Henson's name and if
Webtickets is going to remove her name, Webtickets said "this will be removed
upon client confirmation of the scheduled attendees and keynote speakers".
Asked what happens if someone buys a ticket and an event turns out to be a scam
or if it doesn't take place, Webtickets said "our policy in the event of
cancellation of the event is to provide all purchasing customers with full
refunds of their tickets purchased. In the event in question, we also operate
under client instruction".
M-Net's
1Magic was asked about its involvement as official media partner of the event
but referred enquiries to the 21st Century Group.
On
Thursday morning 21st Century Group in a statement posted on Twitter said "Superstar Agency is the agency that booked Taraji P. Henson through her
management, which is 42West PR. The engagement contract was signed by Susan
Bymel on behalf of Superstar Agency. We also have a contract that was signed by
John on behalf of 42West (Taraji's management) confirming the booking. A
deposit payment of $120 000 was paid to Superstar Agency."
21st
Century Group said that "a legal lawsuit" has now been lodged against Superstar
Agency and Henson's 42West management "to be able to verify who has misled 21stst Century Group in confirming that the booking was made".
An
internet search on Wednesday and Thursday couldn't find a website for Superstar
Agency.
