Lady Gaga Apologizes for 2013 duet with R. Kelly

Arts

Jan 10

Featured

Lady Gaga released an official statement early Thursday morning on Twitter apologizing for her 2013 duet with R. Kelly -- “Do What U Want (With My Body)”, saying that she will scrub the song from iTunes and all streaming services.

Fans have been asking Gaga to release a statement regarding R. Kelly, as the allegations of sexual assault against young women have resurfaced via the new Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly. The series features interviews with survivors such as Kelly’s ex-wife, Andrea Kelly. Lady Gaga reportedly turned down the chance to be interviewed at the time of filming.

Gaga says her intentions with the song were to “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 what we’ve been through.”

The scandal and subsequent apology comes at a time during Gaga’s heavy campaign for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. She has long been considered the clear frontrunner this year.

In 2015, Gaga co-wrote the song “Til It Happens to You” for the film The Hunting Ground -- a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses. She performed the deeply personal song at the Academy Awards the following year, joined on stage by 50 survivors of sexual assault. in a memorable and moving tribute.