Los Angeles:
Popstar Rihanna is beingsued by famed fashion photographer David LaChapelle over hercontroversial new video S&M, which he claims is a copy ofhis previous works.
LaChapelle, who has shot celebrities for magazinessuch as Rolling Stone, GQ and Vanity Fair, said "the musicvideo is directly derived from and substantially similar tothe LaChapelle works," reported Star magazine online.
Rihanna, 22, has sold over 25 million albums worldwideand dominated music charts in the US with singles such asUmbrella and What's my Name.
The single S&M, however, has fizzled on the charts,and the video has been banned in some countries for its sexualcontent.
In the suit, LaChapelle said Rihanna had appropriatedeight of his images into the video, such as a shot where sheis shown in profile against a blue background with a piece ofcandy on her tongue.
LaChapelle said Rihanna's video copied the"composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colours,props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting' of his work."
One scene shows Rihanna 'walking' gossip blogger on aleash, while dressed in latex.
Earlier this month, the similarities were spotted byfans of the photographer, who flooded his fan pages onFacebook and Twitter with comments.
Other images allegedly copied in the Rihanna videoinclude a striped room with girls wearing red afro wigsdancing on the furniture. The Chapelle version, 'StripedFarce', is again remarkably similar.
The singer's video was shot by Melina Matsoukas, whoalso directed her track Rude Boy.
LaChapelle, who has shot celebrities for magazinessuch as Rolling Stone, GQ and Vanity Fair, said "the musicvideo is directly derived from and substantially similar tothe LaChapelle works," reported Star magazine online.
Rihanna, 22, has sold over 25 million albums worldwideand dominated music charts in the US with singles such asUmbrella and What's my Name.
The single S&M, however, has fizzled on the charts,and the video has been banned in some countries for its sexualcontent.
In the suit, LaChapelle said Rihanna had appropriatedeight of his images into the video, such as a shot where sheis shown in profile against a blue background with a piece ofcandy on her tongue.
LaChapelle said Rihanna's video copied the"composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colours,props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting' of his work."
One scene shows Rihanna 'walking' gossip blogger on aleash, while dressed in latex.
Earlier this month, the similarities were spotted byfans of the photographer, who flooded his fan pages onFacebook and Twitter with comments.
Other images allegedly copied in the Rihanna videoinclude a striped room with girls wearing red afro wigsdancing on the furniture. The Chapelle version, 'StripedFarce', is again remarkably similar.
The singer's video was shot by Melina Matsoukas, whoalso directed her track Rude Boy.
