Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, whose real name is Aya Coco Danioko, answers hosts’ questions upon her arrival to attend the 24th edition of the NRJ Music Awards ceremony at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, southeastern France, on Nov. 18, 2022. Nakamura was fined 10,000 euros ($10,600) on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, and her former partner Vladimir Boudnikoff 5,000 euros, over a dispute in which the pair came to blows in August 2022. VALERY HACHE / AFP
BOBIGNY, France—French pop giant Aya Nakamura was fined 10,000 euros ($10,600) on Thursday, Feb. 23, and her former partner Vladimir Boudnikoff 5,000 euros, over a dispute in which the pair came to blows in August 2022.
Neither the defendants nor their lawyers attended the criminal court in Bobigny, in Paris’ northeastern suburbs, for the sentencing hearing.
Both of their lawyers said they would consider appealing the decision.
During earlier hearings, the former couple described their fight on the night of Aug. 6-7, 2022, boiling over because of jealousy over Boudnikoff’s invitation—without Nakamura—to a wedding that was also attended by an ex-girlfriend of his.
At their home in Rosny-sous-Bois, where they lived at the time with their infant daughter, the pair yelled, hurled objects and struck each other in their basement music studio.
“He got angrier and angrier, held me tight, trying to calm me down in his own way,” Nakamura said.
For her part, she knocked Boudnikoff off-balance with a slap and he fell to the floor.
Boudnikoff acknowledged that he had lost control when Nakamura returned to their home with two male friends later the same night to retrieve some of her belongings.
He said he was afraid of the men and threatened them with a replica weapon.
The couple say they are now separated but have kept up relations for their daughter’s sake.
Born Aya Danioko in Mali, Nakamura is one of the biggest-selling francophone artists in the world, with her 2018 sensation “Djadja” racking up over 900 million views on YouTube.
She has been hailed for rapping and singing about women’s empowerment and black identity, mixing French, slang, Arabic and her family’s native Bambara language.
Her latest album, named DNK for the consonants of her family name, was released last month.
Boudnikoff, a producer, directed one of Nakamura’s videos for her song “Pookie,” which has racked up 338 million views on YouTube since its 2019 release. /ra
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