Nelly Furtado to give away $1m Gaddafi fee

Singer Nelly Furtado said on Monday that she will give away USD 1 million she received to perform in Italy for the family of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi has been condemned for using violence to quell a popular uprising, with the death toll from nearly two weeks of fighting estimated by diplomats at about 2,000.

Furtado, a Canadian singer whose hits include "I'm Like a Bird" and "Promiscuous," used the website Twitter to disclose her plans for the USD million.

"In 2007, I received 1 million$ from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy," she wrote. "I am going to donate the $"

A spokeswoman for Furtado could not be reached to say which group Furtado plans to designate for her donation.

Furtado first rose to fame with the 2000 album "Whoa, Nelly!" She also appeared in the 2008 movie "Max Payne."