Rihanna sued by famed fashion photog over ‘copycat’ S and M video
By ANITuesday, February 15, 2011
LONDON - Rihanna has reportedly been sued by prominent U.S. fashion photographer David LaChapelle over her video for new single S and M.
LaChapelle, who has shot celebrities for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ and Vanity Fair, said “the music video is directly derived from and substantially similar to the LaChapelle works,” reports the Daily Mail.
Rihanna has sold over 25 million albums worldwide and dominated music charts in the U.S. with singles such as ‘Umbrella’ and ‘What’s my name’.
The single ‘S and M’, however, has fizzled on the charts, and the video has been banned in some countries for its sexual content.
In the suit, the photographer said the singer had appropriated eight of his images into the video, such as a shot where she is shown in profile against a blue background with a piece of candy on her tongue.
LaChapelle said her video copied the “composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colours, props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting” of his work.
He is suing for unspecified damages.
A source at LaChapelle’s studio told celebrity website Radar Online that initially fans thought the photographer had directed the video.
“Interns told us that fans were buzzing about the video and wanting to know if David had directed it. Then the phone in the office started ringing off the hook, everyone was like ‘wow it’s amazing - it’s the exact same,”‘ the source said. (ANI)
