Lady Gaga‘s unreleased music video for Do What U Want was partially leaked earlier today, and industry sources are now claiming that the clip was held back from release due to the tarnished public image of the video’s director, Terry Richardson, as well as Gaga’s collaborator on the track, R. Kelly.
Late last year, Gaga told fans on the Little Monsters forum that the video for Do What U Want was scrapped because of time constraints and people whom she believed had “betrayed” her. But now, sources have come forward claiming that the clip was not released publicly because of sex scandals surrounding Richardson and Kelly.
The racy NSFW video (below), which has now been partially leaked by TMZ, depicts Gaga playing patient and Kelly playing doctor. In a portion of the clip, Gaga reportedly riffs on the real-life hip injury she sustained last year.
Gaga asks Kelly, “Will I ever be able to walk again?” The singer replies, “Yes, if you let me do whatever I want with your body.” According to Page Six, Kelly then tells Gaga, “I’m putting you under, and when you wake up, you’re going to be pregnant.” Richardson can also be seen in the clip.
Page Six was informed that the video was shot in September 2013 for a December release, but was scrapped after weeks of delays.
Controversial photographer Terry Richardson, who was also behind Miley Cyrus‘ Wrecking Ball video, has been accused of sexual misconduct by a number of his models over the last few years. An online petition asking companies to boycott Richardson gathered steam on Change.org last year. Richardson has denied the allegations as recently as this week in a New York magazine cover story.
R. Kelly faced backlash in December last year over an interview with Village Voice in which writer Jim DeRogatis recalled the sexual assault suits filed against Kelly in the 1990s. There were “dozens of girls — not one, not two, dozens — with harrowing lawsuits,” DeRogatis said. Kelly was once tried for child pornography, but was acquitted on all charges.
Page Six‘s industry source has posited that, “Gaga had a video directed by an alleged sexual predator, starring another sexual predator. With the theme, ‘I’m going to do whatever I want with your body’? It was literally an ad for rape.”
A source has told Rolling Stone that there is no connection between Richardson’s sexual misconduct allegations and the video being scrapped. The source referred to Gaga’s original claims of mismanagement and timing issues as the real reason.
Lady Gaga, Terry Richardson and R. Kelly are yet to comment publicly.
Gaga has never been one to shy away from controversy in the name of art. Earlier this year she caused a stir by getting puked on at SXSW, leading to a petition which sought to stop her “glamourising bulimia”. She’s also undertaken her fair share of Marina Abramovic-inspired pieces.
Watch: Lady Gaga – Do What U Want Leaked Excerpts (NSFW)
