Lady Gaga Apologizes for Her Collaboration With R Kelly

After the release of Lifetime’s ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ docuseries, Lady Gaga has just publicly apologized for working with R. Kelly.

She posted a note on Twitter saying, “I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously,” and furthered that the allegations against Kelly were “absolutely horrifying and indefensible. 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 am 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 go through the therapy and 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 an openly and honestly as possible about what we’ve been through. I can’t go back, but I can go forward and continue to support women, men, and people of all sexual identities, and 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. Til 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 of iTunes and other streaming platforms and will not be working with him again. I’m sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young. and for not speaking out sooner. I love you.”