As the entire world continues to shed light on the multiple allegations of sexual assault against singer R. Kelly, Lady Gaga has taken it upon herself to issue an apology for collaborating with him and wiped said collab from all streaming services.
Gaga, who is currently doing her awards season round for her critically-lauded performance in A Star Is Born while simultaneously kicking off her Vegas residency, took to Twitter to give a long statement regarding the issue to which she’s come under criticism for in recent years, as the allegations against Kelly grew more public.
“I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously,” Gaga wrote.
She also said the collaboration, ‘Do What U Want’ from her 2013 album ARTPOP, was written during a dark time in her 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,” she wrote.
“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.”
In this statement, she also said that the song would be removed from streaming services in the coming days, and as of this morning, the duet is nowhere to be found. However other versions, such as the version that sees Christina Aguilera replace Kelly, are still available.
Read Gaga’s full statement below.
I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault: pic.twitter.com/67sz4WpV3i
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 10, 2019
