Lady Gaga was among the many collaborators of R. Kelly who was urged to speak out against the Pied Piper of R&B in the aftermath of the highly-discussed documentary, Surviving R. Kelly.
The singer and actress, who is gaining Oscar buzz for her role in the film A Star Is Born, took to social media to release a statement against Kelly, who was featured on her ARTPOP track “Do What U Want.”
“As a victim of sexual assault myself, I made both the song and the 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,” Gaga wrote in the statement. “The song is called “Do What U Want (With My Body),” I think it’s clear how explicitly twisted my thinking was at the time.”
Gaga also said she will not work with Kelly in the future, and she intends to remove the song from iTunes and streaming services. Fans of the “Shallow” performer asked if she would consider replacing the album version of the song with Kelly either with the solo version or the version featuring Christina Aguilera.
The Terry Richardson-directed video for the Kelly version of “Do What U Want” was never officially released, as many deemed it incredibly inappropriate. Some even went as far to say that it was an “ad for rape” considering the sexual misconduct allegations against both Kelly and Richardson. Gaga and Kelly performed the song together at the 2013 American Music Awards with a presidential-style rendezvous in a faux Oval Office.
I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault: pic.twitter.com/67sz4WpV3i
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 10, 2019
READ MORE: Common Admits Guilt For Neglecting Stories Of R. Kelly’s Reported Sexual Assault Victims