Sabrina Carpenter Responds To The Catholic Church’s Outrage Over Her Provocative Music Video Filmed In A Church

Sabrina Carpenter addressed the recent controversy with the Roman Catholic Church, which condemned her for the provocative footage she shot for her music video inside a church in Brooklyn.

The 24-year-old singer was unfazed by the stir she caused and revealed that she had obtained prior approval to film at the Roman Catholic church where the scenes were shot.

Carpenter humorously addressed the situation, and said in a playful reference to her last name, “Jesus was a carpenter,” she told Variety. 

Released on October 31, Carpenter’s music video for “Feather” follows her as she seeks retribution against men – by killing them – who have wronged her in various ways. Toward the end of the video, she attends a funeral and dances provocatively on the church’s altar, clad in a short black dress and surrounded by coffins in pastel colors.

After the music video was released, the Diocese of Brooklyn issued a statement to the Catholic News Agency that expressed its displeasure with the video being filmed on church premises. 

The statement specifically mentioned that the parish had not adhered to the diocesan policy for footage taken on church property, which includes a thorough review of the scenes and script. Bishop Robert Brennan conducted a Mass of Reparation to restore the church’s sanctity and address the harm caused by the incident.

Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, the church’s pastor, had his administrative responsibilities revoked and was removed from his position as the vicar of development for the diocese.

In a letter shared on the church’s Facebook page, Gigantiello apologized for the event.

“While I take full responsibility for the erroneous decision to allow the filming, I want to assure you that I had no knowledge that such a scene would be filmed in our church which we worked so hard to restore to its present sacred beauty,” he wrote.

The music video, inspired by horror themes, has garnered over 12 million views.

In March, Carpenter was spotted on a date with Shawn Mendes.