News of Mariah Carey’s planned August performance in Israel has inspired a slew of rumors and speculations, mostly pertaining to a possible marriage to her boyfriend – Australian entrepreneur James Packer.
However, a report in TMZ focused on the diva’s personal finances, and claimed Carey would earn a whopping half a million dollars for her performance at Rishon Letzion’s Amphipark on August 18.
Carey has not commented on the report, according to the International Business Times.
Carey and Packer visited Israel two months ago for what TMZ described as a “pre-engagement spiritual meeting.” TMZ said at the time that the couple met with an Israeli “spiritual leader” who Packer knows well, but the spiritual leader’s name was not revealed.
Though not Jewish, Packer is a supporter of Israel and is also said to be a good friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In March 2015, Packer revealed in an interview with the Australian Daily Telegraph that he had bought a house near Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea, and that the two had become friends and dined together a number of times. It was Packer who reportedly first suggested the idea of performing in Israel.