It's true that no one has heard much from Nelly Furtado since the early 2000s. Though her rise to fame wasn't a straight line up (her sophomore album hit a slump), she's one of the most celebrated Canadian artists out there.
While she's in good company with fellow Canadians like Drake and Nina Dobrev, Furtado wasn't about to get cozy with celebrities of different stripes. Namely, she wasn't willing to pose for 'Playboy,' no matter the size of the paycheck.
Nelly Furtado Said No To Playboy
Her career kicked off in the late '90s, and Nelly Furtado was already in her 20s at the time. So by the early 2000s, when she was churning out hits like 'I'm Like a Bird' and 'Turn Off the Light,' she earned attention from plenty of fans and publications.
Then, her track 'Promiscuous' came out in 2006 and was a somewhat empowering party anthem that defined her career moving forward. Interestingly, it was around that same timeframe when Playboy approached Nelly and asked her to pose -- but not nude.
Nelly herself explained that the offer underwent a few changes after she initially turned it down. Obviously, Playboy would have preferred for her to appear nude. When Furtado told them no way, they "even prepared" to pay her to appear fully clothed.
Why Did Nelly Furtado Turn Down Playboy?
In her own words, Nelly explained that she had specific reasons for saying no to Playboy, even after they updated their generous offer to allow her to remain clothed. She noted, "I didn’t want Playboy on my resume at the age of 22."
That was it; posing for Playboy, and having her name attached to the mag, was just too much for Furtado. It seems kind of funny that her music was more risque than the photo should might've been, but Furtado stood her ground.
Although, she admitted, "If they ask me when I'm 40 I'll probably say yes." Well, she is 42 now, and while Nelly has accomplished plenty in the intervening years, who knows whether she'd still be up for that challenge from her youth today.
How Much Money Did Playboy Offer Nelly Furtado?
Was $500,000 a lot of money in 2006? Because that's how much cash Nelly says she passed on when saying no to what would have been an iconic photoshoot.
The thing is, Nelly remains iconic even without that item on her resume, despite the fact that she hasn't released new music in recent years. After admitting to having a "breakdown" when she thought that fans liked her for her image and not her music, Nelly regrouped.
She took time out of the spotlight -- and came out stronger because of it.