Lady Gaga has found the recipe for controversy and it involves one part Gaga, one part R. Kelly, and one part Terry Richardson. Last fall, the trio teamed up to film the music video to "Do What U Want," the singer's racy duet with R. Kelly, but the clip never saw the light of day.
The song, which has Gaga crooning, "You can't have my heart / And you won't use my mind but / Do what you want with my body / Do what you want with my body," made its debut in October 2013. In January, Mother Monster, 28, took to her LittleMonsters website to offer up an explanation as to why the single had yet to get a music video.
Gaga took shots at those around her, blaming her team. "It is late because, just like with the 'Applause' video unfortunately, I was given a week to plan and execute it," she wrote of the R. Kelly clip. "It is very devastating for someone like me, I devote every moment of my life to creating fantasies for you. All my most successful videos were planned over a period of time when I was rested and my creativity was honored. Those who have betrayed me gravely mismanaged my time and health and left me on my own to damage control any problems that ensued as a result. Millions of dollars are not enough for some people. They want billions. Then they need trillions. I was not enough for some people. They wanted more."
Seven months later, "Do What U Want" has yet to see release. A new report from Page Six claims that the video was scrapped because of the men involved. R. Kelly has a notoriously questionable reputation and photographer and director Richardson has come under scrutiny as of late after allegations of sexual misconduct. R. Kelly was caught up in legal battles for years relating to charges of child pornography and has been accused of having relations with underage girls. In recent months, models that were shot by Richardson in the past have spoken out on his behavior, accusing him of sexual harassment.
"Gaga had a video directed by an alleged sexual predator, starring another sexual predator. With the theme, 'I’m going to do whatever I want with your body'? It was literally an ad for rape," a source reportedly told the publication.
An insider close to the situation tells Us Weekly exclusively, however, that it was Gaga herself who pulled the video because she was simply not happy with the finished product.
"Everybody at the label actually loved it and it was NOT pulled because of Richardson and R. Kelly," the source tells Us. "The truth is, Gaga herself didn't like it. She didn't love how it turned out and wouldn't let the label release it."
"Everyone wants that video to come out but she didn't like it, so she wouldn't allow them to release it," the source continued. "It is not because of anyone or anything else other than Gaga didn't like how it turned out."