Lady Gaga Apologizes for R. Kelly Duet
Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend…
Following the recent documentary Surviving R. Kelly, Lady Gaga has apologized for her collaboration with the artist on the song “Do What U Want (With My Body)” and says she plans to take the song off of streaming platforms.
She officially addressed the issue in a Tweet to her followers and fans.
I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault: pic.twitter.com/67sz4WpV3i
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 10, 2019
“I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault,” the Tweet explained. “I made both the song and video at a dark time in my life, my intention was to create something extremely defiant and provocative because I was angry and still hadn’t processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life.”
“If I could go back and have a talk with my younger self I’d tell her to go through the therapy I have since then, so that I could understand the confused post-traumatic state that I was in—or if therapy was not available to me or anyone in my situation—to seek help, and speak as openly and honestly as possible about we’ve been through. I can’t go back, but I can go forward and continue to support women, men and people of all sexual identities, and of all races, who are victims of sexual assault,” she added.
However, some fans don’t buy the apology and are still upset.
Lady Gaga is full of shit. She had all the energy to address the Brett Kavanaugh hearing- something unrelated to her directly- but sounds incoherent and defensive when talking about how she USED AND MONETIZED R KELLY’S PREDATION FOR A MUSIC VIDEO STORY LINE. pic.twitter.com/v59gEDOMeX
— tummy (@Seauxmali) January 10, 2019
A lot of folks are okay with that a Lady Gaga apology and I’m concerned…
— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) January 10, 2019
Others, however, feel that this was a bold move by the star.
This is so moving. And beautiful. And very inspiring. Thank you @ladygaga ❤️ https://t.co/h0NlljmY5Q
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) January 10, 2019
This is so moving. And beautiful. And very inspiring. Thank you @ladygaga ❤️ https://t.co/h0NlljmY5Q
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) January 10, 2019
Those who don’t find her apology convincing are citing the fact that when she initially made the song and was confronted about working with Kelly, she claimed that there may not be truth to the allegations against him.
“Both R. Kelly and I have, sometimes, very untrue things written about us,” she said in 2013. “In a way, this was a bond between us. We were able to say, ‘The public, they can have our bodies, but they cannot have our mind or our heart.’ It was a very natural collaboration.”
Do you think Gaga’s heart was in the right place, or does she have more explaining to do?
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Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend to dogs everywhere. She enjoys long walks in the darkness away from any sources of sunlight, rainy days, and painfully dry comedy. She also covers cannabis and heavy metal, and is author of Wicked Woman: Women in Metal from the 1960s to Now and Respirator, a short story collection.