Steven Seagal drops from Estonia music festival after Putin outcry

Steven Seagal created controversy last week in the Baltic nation of Estonia, but not for his cinematic efforts, The Guardian reports.

The actor, better known for his Hollywood tough guy roles is also, it transpires, a blues singer and guitar player. But his attempts to bring his musical talent to Estonia has gone down badly in a country that has a fraught history with its eastern neighbour Russia, as Seagal has been vocal in his support of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

The announcement of Seagal's headlining slot at Augustibluus, a blues festival held the beginning of August in the western town of Haapsalu for over 20 years, was met with a swift outcry, with Estonian rock singer Tonis Magi calling for a boycott. Estonia's foreign minister, Urmas Paet, told the Tallinn daily Delfi: "Steven Seagal has become active in politics in the last few months in a manner not befitting a world which honours states based on the rule of law."