Thousands of Britney Spears fans have signed a petition calling for the release of the original music video of her new single, after it was scrapped for being overly sexual.
The infamous pop singer’s latest controversial episode revolves around the video for her new single Make Me, the lead single from her ninth album Glory. The video was originally directed by photographer David LaChapelle before he was replaced by Randee St. Nicholas. Devotees of 34-year-old Spears are feeling cheated by the fact that select footage from what appears to be the original video has leaked online without the full video being released.
Over 15,00o fans are demanding on Change.org to see the original nude video in full. According to TMZ, LaChapelle’s camp claims his video was rejected because Britney’s management and RCA considered it too raunchy, even by her standards.
His video featured Britney writhing on the floor in bondage-esque underwear and nude except for red body paint, all the while surrounded by half-naked men.
Fans had been excited about the prospect of the singer re-uniting with LaChapelle, whom she collaborated with on her 2004 single Everytime.
But leaked footage implied tensions during the shoot, with one feed suggesting she was calling LaChapelle an “asshole.” TMZ reports that Britney’s management felt LaChapelle’s vision was disjointed and pointless and had no storyline. It had him nixed from the project and replaced by new director Randee St Nicholas.
Despite the groundswell of demand to see the video, it’s unlikely that RCA will pay a moment’s notice to the strong wave of support for the original footage. It’s impressive, though, that even after Britney has kissed Madonna, draped herself in a white python, performed a striptease at three different VMA shows, got married for 55 hours, attacked paparazzi with an umbrella, shaved her head and driven with a baby on her lap—her fans are still clamoring for more controversy.