Russian Opera star who refused to denounce Putin wins $200,000 payout from the ... trends now

A Russian soprano has won a $200,000 pay-out from the Metropolitan Opera after it cancelled a string of her performances last year when she refused to denounce leader Vladimir Putin. 

Anna Netrebko, who endorsed Putin for president in 2012 and called his Western critics 'evil', was one of the Met's biggest stars until she was suddenly cut from 13 shows following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. 

An arbitrator has now ruled she should be compensated for the cancelled performances, claiming there is 'no doubt' she is a Putin supporter but she had 'every right' to be. 

Netrebko - who was also embroiled in a blackface scandal last year - a had a 'pay or play' agreement with the Opera which requires institutions to pay performers even if they later choose to cancel them.

But bosses argued she was not entitled to the money as she had violated the company's conduct clause. 

She denounced the war last February and distanced herself from the leader - but failed to publicly speak out against him. 

In a ruling seen by the New York Times, arbitrator Howard C. Edelman said: 'There is no doubt she was a Putin supporter, as she had a right to be.'

He added that this was 'certainly not moral turpitude or worthy, in and of itself, of actionable misconduct.' 

The ruling was made last month but only came to light this week. 

Netrebko had originally sought $400,000 in fees for future performances she had discussed with the Opera but had not yet formally agreed to.

She was paid around $15,000 for each performance - the Met's fee for top artists. 

But Edelman said she was not entitled to those fees for those performances because no official contracts were in place. 

She also was handed a $30,000

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