Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst has revealed plans to move to Crimea, Ukraine’s region annexed by Russia, and produce film and TV content there, according to Russian media reports.
Durst responded to Crimean authorities’ recent call on Western celebrities to obtain residence in the territory, the Russian daily Izvestia reported.
Last month, Sergey Aksyonov, head of Crimea, published an open letter, in which he promised to turn the Black Sea peninsular region into “the new Beverly Hills.” Later, mayors of the resort towns Yevpatoria, Feodosiya and Yalta spoke about granting land to build a compound for Western celebrities, who would obtain free housing as long as they took part in the region’s international promotion.
According to Izvestia, Durst sent a letter to Crimean authorities, in which he said that he was interested in spending half of the year in the region, producing films and TV series that would take Russia to a new level in the industry, also working for a “great future of Crimea and Russia.”
Durst first mentioned his interest in obtaining a Russian passport in a radio interview last month, but it isn’t yet clear if he has already applied for a Russian citizenship. Recently, U.S. athlete Roy Jones Jr. was granted Russian citizenship.
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In another interview, Durst said that his wife, Kseniya Beryazina, a native of Crimea, is teaching him Russian.
Crimea was annexed by Russia in March 2014, following the Maidan revolution in Kiev, which toppled Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovych.
The Western nations consider Crimea Ukrainian territory, occupied by Russia. Earlier this year, major U.S. companies, including Google and Apple, pulled out of Crimea.