Brooklyn priest Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello was stripped of his administrative duties after letting former Disney star Sabrina Carpenter film her "Feather" music video inside Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Williamsburg.
Gigantiello faced disciplinary action, relieving him of his administrative responsibilities within the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The New York Times disclosed that Gigantiello faced repercussions for permitting the filming without adhering to established protocols governing church property usage. Carpenter's video, now surpassing 11 million views, showcased her dancing in a black tulle dress and veil within the church, preceding scenes of fictional toxic men meeting their demise in a horror-themed narrative.
You can see it below.
Sabrina Carpenter - Feather (Official Video) www.youtube.com
The contentious scenes depicted Carpenter dancing and posing in front of the church altar, surrounded by pastel-colored coffins and bedazzled urns. Bishop Robert Brennan confirmed to the Times that Gigantiello faced consequences due to his role in allowing the video shoot.
In a statement, Gigantiello expressed sincere regret for his decision. He clarified that he greenlit the filming to foster ties between the community's young creative artists and the parish.
He admitted to conducting a background check on Sabrina Carpenter and, finding nothing objectionable, consented to the shoot after removing the Blessed Sacrament from the church.
He added:
“The parish staff and I were not aware that anything provocative was occurring in the church nor were we aware that faux coffins and other funeral items would be placed in the sanctuary. Most of the video was supposed to be filmed outside, which it was."
“While I take full responsibility for the erroneous decision to allow 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.”
News of the incident prompted mixed commentary online, with some mocking the incident and wondering why the Catholic Church would penalize this... but not priests the Church defended even though they molested young children.
Notably, Carpenter has not issued any apology regarding the controversy surrounding the incident.
According to The Associated Press, emails "seeking comment were sent to representatives for Carpenter and the video director, Mia Barnes," though there was no response by its article's publication deadline.
