Sunday, July 24, 2011

Joss Stone / I am hated for being wealthy

Joss Stone

Joss Stone: I am hated for being wealthy

Joss Stone, the singer at the centre of an alleged kidnap plot, has claimed that she is hated for being rich.

By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor

6:48PM BST 24 Jul 2011

The 24-year-old said reports she is worth £9 million made her a target in Britain.

"The idea that you have all this money just gives people another reason to hate you," she said in her first interview since two men were arrested outside her Devon home last month.

Police allegedly recovered a samurai sword, balaclavas and knives from their car, along with maps marking Stone's address. They were later charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.

References to her fortune have proved "dangerous", said Stone, stressing that that she is no longer worth "anything like" the sums reported after buying her way out of a record deal with EMI.

Stone was so unruffled by the alleged kidnap plot that she baked scones for police officers guarding her home in Cullompton, east Devon.

"I'm still fine, if slightly baffled by it. I can't stress about what didn't happen. That would seem silly," she said. "Every job has positives and negatives and I guess this was one of the negatives that come with mine. I don't expect life to be perfect. I just try to make it as fun as possible. That's an option all of us have."

She added that the drama had been "a blessing in disguise" because it had made her more security-conscious. "I now lock all my doors and have installed a sophisticated alarm system. But it's highlighted to me how brilliant the community down here is. Everyone around is like extended family, all of us looking out for each other. I could never live anywhere else."

Her latest project is SuperHeavy, a band comprising Stone, Sir Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Damian Marley and AR Rahman.

THE TELEGRAPH