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Sky Ferreira defends Terry Richardson: Photographer is not to be blamed for Lady Gaga’s ‘rape ad’ music video

The singer says that she has “never been forced or manipulated into anything”

Ella Alexander
Friday 27 June 2014 10:55 BST
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Sky Ferreira has defended Terry Richardson in the wake of numerous sexual abuse allegations made against him.

The photographer has been accused of sexually assaulting a series of women – all of which he has vehemently denied.

“As someone who has worked very closely with Terry Richardson on many many many occasions since I was 17 years old I would like to say... from my OWN personal experience: I have never been forced or manipulated into anything,” said the singer.

“I made a music video with him and I have never felt uncomfortable with Terry & had 99 percent of the creative control. This was before I was ‘famous’.”

She also said he is not to be blamed over the controversial Lady Gaga video, "Do What U Want", which he directed.

The video – which has been branded an ‘ad for rape’ – features a scene in which R Kelly, who plays Gaga’s predatory doctor, tells the singer: “I’m putting you under, and when you wake up, you’re going to be pregnant.”

It was never released for unknown reasons.

“Allegations are one thing but completely blaming the director isn't fair aka the Lady Gaga video,” she wrote in a lengthy defence published on her Facebook page.

“It doesn't matter if you want to be a ‘role model’ or not, it's your responsibility to be AWARE of what you're doing… The media acting as if Terry Richardson manipulated Lady Gaga into making a video about getting touched by R-Kelly or whatever is a whole other thing,” she continued.

“She is 28 year old woman & fully capable/aware of what she was doing. If she wants to do it is HER choice.”

Although Ferreira said that she doesn’t dispute “the women who have publicly spoken” out against Richardson, she has a problem with the media’s coverage of the allegations who she suggests “use others (victims) pain for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$[sic] or someway to help themselves climb the ladder of whatever they are trying to get to”.

“The media & the f**king peanut gallery/trolls on the internet can paint any picture they want of you. They never have the full details,” she wrote.

“They can manipulate & project an image/persona that benefits them. There are lots of details that we DON'T know about it. There are many reasons & FACTS why I support Terry Richardson that media (basically) refuses to acknowledge.”

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