K'naan: 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem Wavin' Flag singer accused of sexual assault

Canadian musician K'naan, best known for his hit single "Wavin' Flag," has been charged with one count of sexual assault related to an alleged incident that occurred in July 2010. 

The charges were filed in a Quebec City courthouse on September 26, 2024.

According to court documents, the assault allegedly took place between July 16 and 17, 2010, during K'naan’s appearance at the Festival d’été de Québec in Québec City. 

The complaint was first made to police in Montreal in May 2022, and the case was later transferred to Quebec City after investigators determined that the incident allegedly occurred in a hotel room within that jurisdiction.

The identity of the victim, who was 29 at the time of the alleged assault, has been kept confidential. K'naan, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, would have been 33 at the time of the incident.

K'naan was not present in court when the charges were filed. His legal team has requested that the trial be conducted in English. The case is scheduled for review in April 2025.

Despite the charges, K'naan was recently honored with the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award at the 34th Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada Awards. 

His 2009 song "Wavin' Flag" became the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and reached Number Two on Billboard's Canadian Hot 100.