The famed photographer is accusing the songstress of copying his work
Oh dear. As if Rihanna’s new single, S&M, hadn’t already sparked enough controversy, now the songstress is being sued for copying photographer David LaChapelle’s work.
We’re guessing the BBC’s measly title change now doesn’t look quite so bad…!
The US photographer, famed for his risqué images, has claimed that, ‘the music video is directly derived from and substantially similar to the LaChapelle works.’
He stated that the video plagarised his work in its ‘composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colours, props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting.’
LaChapelle refers specifically to eight images from his back catalogue, claiming that Rihanna has appropriated them in her video, for scenes such as when she dons a pink latex catsuit and another where she’s leading celeb blogger Perez Hilton by a leash.
Black Friday 2021
Despite his cameo, even Perez was quick to comment, tweeting the star: ‘next time you make a David LaChapelle music video you should probably hire David LaChapelle.’
The internet was abuzz with whispers that the video had lifted LaChapelle’s work from the moment it premiered, with many taking to LaChapelle’s Twitter and Facebook pages to ask if the photographer was behind the controversial film.
Rihanna’s record label is yet to comment on the lawsuit.
