Lucero Officially Cancels Vina Del Mar 2014 Appearance Following Scandal

Lucero has canceled her appearance at the Viña Del Mar 2014 Music Festival following the photo scandal. "In the name of the Viña del Mar International Music Festival, we would like to inform you that the singer and actress Lucero has decided to cancel her participation in the next edition of the competition," read the statement released by Chilevisión. "The reason for this decision has not been exposed by the singer's manager, Ernesto Fernández. The reason is the media uproar originated by the publishing of photos from the artist's personal life that have put at risk her security and public image.

The photos released by the Mexican tabloid magazine show the "No Pudiste Amar Así" singer hunting animals in the wild with her millionaire boyfriend, Michel Kuri. Social media has been abuzz around the scandal ever since the pictures became public and has users blasting the actress for her actions against animals. Mayor of the Chilean city where the festival takes place, Virginia Reginaldo, had asked organizers to reconsider Lucero's involvement and is now happy that she will not be included. "From the beginning I lamented the event and I believe that the decision Lucero made is good for her, good for the festival, good for the city of Viña del Mar, good for Chilevisión and good for everyone in general," the public official said in a statement. "What is important is that Viña will once again offer a great festival, where music and happiness will reign."

Eugenio Derbez, an animal rights activist, has lashed out on Lucero after a photo's surfaced of the actress hunting for wild animals with her millionaire boyfriend. "Everyone that works in this industry love Lucero, but there are things that one cannot defend," Derbez said during the radio interview. "Even though she is a friend, I am absolutely against what she did and the hunting of animals. I don't think there is anything that justifies the killing of a live being and I disapprove of it. It truly saddened me because I would've never imagined Lucero would be involved in something like this. I love her very much but I do not approve and hopefully she reflects on it. We are living in a violent Mexico and we don't need these type of images. We need to be congruent and hopefully she doesn't get angry but changes."