The Netherlands’s Eurovision favorite was disqualified ahead of the finals in May. Three months later, authorities have dropped the case against him.
A favorite gets disqualified
May 11, 2024: Eurovision’s competition is getting a little smaller. Joost Klein of the Netherlands has been disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest and will not perform at the finals on Saturday, shared Eurovision in a statement Saturday afternoon. A production crew member reportedly made an “allegation of intimidation†against the singer to local police. In response to rumors that the incident involved another contestant, hinting at his tension with Israel’s contestant at a press conference a few days ago, the contest wrote, “We would like to make it clear that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.†Klein was a favorite to win for his song “Europapa,†dedicated to his father, who died when he was 12.
Netherlands viewers are still able to vote in the competition, as they cannot vote for their own country’s song. The Eurovision finals are now going forward tonight with 25 contestants instead of 26.
Case closed
August 12, 2024: Swedish authorities have dropped the case against Joost Klein following his Eurovision disqualification in May. The Swedish Prosecution Authority confirmed the investigation was suspended three months after Klein hit a woman’s camera during semifinals in Malmö, Sweden. “Today I have closed the investigation because I cannot prove that the act was capable of causing serious fear or that the man had any such intention,†said Fredrik Jönsson, a senior prosecutor.
Klein’s management told the New York Times they were “relieved†the case is over. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS once again criticized Klein’s disqualification as “unnecessary and disproportionate†following the news, per the Times, and said it plans to meet with the European Broadcasting Union, which puts on Eurovision. But in its own statement, the EBU defended disqualifying Klein. “This was an investigation into whether a criminal act was committed and not whether Mr Klein behaved inappropriately and breached ESC [Eurovision Song Contest] rules and procedures,†the EBU said.