“She is a blaspheming degenerate”: Sabrina Carpenter defending filming her music video at a Catholic church sparks outrage online

Sabrina Carpenter, the American singer and actress, has recently come under fire for using a Roman Catholic church in Brooklyn as a backdrop for parts of her Feather music video.

She released the clip on YouTube on Halloween, Oct 31, 2023, with her dancing next to pastel-colored coffins. A Catholic priest was stripped of his administrative duties because of the music video, and officials held a Mass to restore the church’s “sanctity,” as per AP News

The pop star defended herself from the backlash in an interview with Variety on November 29, 2023, saying:

"We got approval in advance, and Jesus was a carpenter."

A netizen reacts to Sabrina's statement. (Image via X/@PopTingz)

Netizens were not pleased with Sabrina's casual outlook toward the criticism and took to social media to express their grievances.

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Netizens criticize Sabrina Carpenter’s music video for using a Catholic church as a setting

Sabrina Carpenter released a new music video for her new song Feather which raised a lot of controversy online. People were outraged about the scenes of the song filmed in a church.

She was seen dancing in a short black tulle dress and veil through the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Catholic church in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Sabrina Carpenter then walked up to the center aisle and onto the altar.

The place was lined with pastel-colored coffins, including one that read “RIP B*TCH”. The pop singer danced and lipsynced to her song as she went back down the aisle and out the front door, as per Billboard.

There were more scenes in the music video that did not seem to fit the Catholic church values, according to AP News. Sabrina Carpenter was in several scenarios with men who behaved badly. They were later shown dying in grisly ways.

She also appeared to be splattered with blood after a fight scene in a gym and a shot showed two young men reading a book called "Tampons Should Be Free."

The church scene prompted the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn to make a statement to the Catholic News Agency, saying it was “appalled at what was filmed.” They oversee the Catholic churches in Brooklyn and Queens.

The organization also claimed that proper procedures were not followed around allowing filming in the church, as per The New York Times.

Sabrina Carpenter responded to the claims, saying that permission was taken in advance. Monsignor. Jamie J. Gigantiello did give the singer's team approval for the filming. The Roman Catholic diocese, however, disagreed, claiming the Msgr. did not follow the “diocesan policy regarding the filming on church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script,” as per the media outlet.

Netizens are displeased with Sabrina's statement and music video:

After Bishop Robert J. Brennan organized a Mass of Reparation that “restored the sanctity of this church and repaired the harm,” according to the diocese, he relieved Monsignor Gigantiello of his administrative oversight.

As per AP News, Gigantiello has since apologized to church-goers in a post on the church’s Facebook page.

"I am genuinely sorry and I deeply regret the incident that took place and any distress that my actions may have caused," he said.

The pastor acknowledged that Sabrina Carpenter's crew had approached him in September about filming a music video. His online search of the artist “did not reveal anything questionable,” and he soon approved the project.

He added that it was an “effort to further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community,” as per The New York Times.

Monsignor Gigantiello also revealed in an email that he was only aware of an alleged funeral scene in the music video and that the final edit was “not what was initially presented to me.”

Sabrina Carpenter's team has not released a statement on the matter yet.