TASHKENT -- Two Uzbek comedians who perform on stage as women have filed a libel lawsuit against prominent singer Yulduz Usmonova after she called them "gays" in a video statement on YouTube.
A manager for the comedians confirmed to RFE/RL on March 31 that the lawsuits had been filed against Usmonova with the Tashkent City Prosecutor's Office.
The mothers of the well-known parodists, Rustamkhoja Usmonov (no relation) and his colleague, known on stage as Bobur, also said in a video on YouTube that their sons had filed the lawsuits.
On March 20, Usmonova called Usmonov and Bobur "gays" and "womanlike" performers, who "have no voice" and should be "liquidated from our society," adding that she was ready to have a fistfight with them.
The statement came after one of Rustamkhoja Usmonov's recent performances in neighboring Tajikistan, during which he pretends to be her.
The performance was officially presented as a concert by the real Yulduz Usmonova.
Bobur usually performs as two other prominent female singers, Mavluda Asalkhojaeva and Feruza Jumaniyozova.
Uzbek Parodists Sue Celebrity Singer For Calling Them 'Gays'
Popular Uzbek singer Yulduz Usmonova described the parody artists as "gays" and "womanlike" performers. (file photo)