A Demi Lovato album poster, in which the singer poses on top of a crucifix, has been banned in the UK because it is considered offensive to Christians.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched an investigation into the 30-year-old artist's latest album poster after receiving complaints from four people in August.
The album cover, titled
HOLY FVCK,
shows Lovato lying on a large padded crucifix and dressed in a leather outfit, with ribbons tied around her entire body.
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According to the ASA report released Wednesday, complainants "questioned that the ad could cause serious or widespread offense," while some also suggested it was "irresponsibly placed" where children could see it.
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The body concluded that both the language and the images used were likely to seriously offend.
“Considering that the ad was likely to refer to a swear word that many would find offensive and that had appeared in a non-specific medium and in a public place where it was also likely to be seen by children, we estimated that
the ad could give rise to a serious and widespread offense and that it had been directed in an irresponsible manner,”
the agency said.
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“We believe that the image of Lovato dressed in a
bondage
outfit and lying on a crucifix-shaped mattress in a position with her legs tied to the side reminiscent of Christ on the cross, along with the reference to
holy fvck,
which in that context was likely to be seen as linking sexuality to the holy symbol of the crucifix and crucifixion,
could seriously offend Christians,"
he added.
Polydor Records, a division of Universal Music Group, argued that the posters mainly featured the singer's album artwork, and denied that they were offensive.
Lovato performs at Madison Square Garden on December 9 in New York.Charles Sykes / Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
He added that the posters only appeared in six places in London, the British capital, for four days, and were removed on August 23.
Lovato's eighth album, which was released in August, tackles some difficult subjects for her, including her addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Lovato, a two-time Grammy nominee, announced her return to the recording studio in December, just three months after the release of
Holy Fvck
.
