Lady Gaga apologises for working with R. Kelly on ‘Do What U Want'

10 January 2019, 11:32

By Sam Prance

Lady Gaga performed the controversial duet with R. Kelly on SNL and at the AMAs...

Lady Gaga has apologised for working with R. Kelly.

The 32-year-old star worked with R. Kelly on her hit ARTPOP single 'Do What U Want' back in 2013. She also performed the song with R. Kelly at the American Music Awards and on Saturday Night Live that year. Gaga was criticised at the time, due to the numerous sexual assault allegations that R. Kelly faced, however, she never publicly addressed the backlash.

Gaga has now apologised for her actions and said that she intends to remove 'Do What U Want' from all platforms.

Taking to Twitter, Gaga wrote: "I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault". She then went on to add: “I stand behind these women 1,000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously. What I am hearing about the allegations against R. Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible.”

Gaga then opened up about the controversial collaboration: "As a victim of sexual assault myself, 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."

"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. 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 ended the apology writing: "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. I have demonstrated my stance on this issue and others many times throughout my career. I share this not to make excuses for myself but to explain."

"Till it happens to you, you don't know how it feels. But I do know how I feel now. I intend to remove this song off iTunes and other streaming platforms and will not be working with him again. I'm sorry, both for my poor judgement when I was young, and not for speaking sooner. I love you."

R. Kelly has recently come under extra scrutiny due to a new Lifetime documentary called Surviving R. Kelly in which victims of his have opened up about the abuse they've suffered, and, as a result, R. Kelly's collaborators have been put under pressure to denounce him.

Gaga joins the likes of John Legend and Chance the Rapper who've also expressed their regret for working with R. Kelly.