Somali-Canadian Rapper K'naan Faces Sexual Assault Charges Dating Back to 2010

Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan, known for his hit "Wavin' Flag," has been charged with sexual assault in Quebec City, dating back to 2010. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 2025. K'naan, who currently resides in New York, requests to be tried in English in front of a jury.

Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan, renowned for his anthem "Wavin' Flag" that swept the 2010 soccer World Cup, has been charged with sexual assault in Quebec City, dating back to July 2010, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Court documents, as cited by CBC, allege that the singer, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, sexually assaulted a woman in her twenties in Quebec City at that time.

A preliminary inquiry is scheduled for April 2025. K'naan, who lives in New York, has expressed his desire to have the trial conducted in English and in front of a jury. This week, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada honored K'naan for the "global and lasting impact" of his 2009 hit "Wavin' Flag," which was chosen as the anthem for the 2010 World Cup by Coca-Cola.

(With inputs from agencies.)