Alicia Keys

Apparently R&B princess Alicia Keys is being criticized for failing to perform at a New York fundraising gig this past Friday (May 12). The hitmaker was due to perform for the Cancer and Fertility Society, a group dedicated to helping women conceive after cancer, but pulled out at the last minute.

Word is, Keys initially even insisted on keeping her deposit, thought to amount to more than $100,000, which had been provided by a desperate second mortgage on organizer Jonathan Brielle's home. That?s crazy!

Keys' representatives now promise to return the sum, but will not confirm the singer will reschedule her performance, the New York Daily News reports. Her spokesman insists his client's absence was the result of unfulfilled contractual obligations, saying, "Unfortunately, they [the charity] made a series of commitments that they did not keep." The charity was left with limited funds to pay Keys after a key sponsor pulled out of the event.