Demi Lovato advert was likely to cause serious offence to Christians, watchdog rules

Demi Lovato has had her wrist slapped by the UK’s advertising watchdog over a poster showing her wearing a bondage-style outfit and lying on a large, cushioned crucifix.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found that the image, which was to promote her new album, was likely to cause serious offence to Christians for linking sexuality to the crucifix and crucifixion.

The poster – which also had the singer’s name and the album title Holy F*** in large letters, was featured across London last summer.

The advertising regulator ruled that it was irresponsibly placed where children could see it, and likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

During its time on display, the poster attracted four complaints.

Polydor Records, a division of Universal Music who were promoting Lovato’s new album, defended the poster – saying it did not believe it would cause serious or widespread offence.

The label told the ASA it had checked that the poster was acceptable to run at the proposed sites prior to release and had been assured that it was.

Polydor said the posters appeared at six specific sites in London for a four-day period and were removed on 23 August 2022.

While Lovato’s album is called Holy F***, the U has been replaced by a V.

The ASA said it would have been clear to most of those who saw the poster that the ad alluded to the expression “holy f***” – and considered that it was likely to result in serious and widespread offence and had been targeted irresponsibly.

It found that the image of Lovato “bound up in a bondage-style outfit whilst lying on a mattress shaped like a crucifix, in a position with [their] legs bound to one side which was reminiscent of Christ on the cross.

The addition of the album title, which in that context was likely to be viewed as linking sexuality to the sacred symbol of the crucifix and the crucifixion, was likely to cause serious offence to Christians, the ASA said.

It added: “We therefore concluded the ad breached the code.”

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The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again in the form complained of unless it was suitably targeted, adding: “We told Universal Music Operations to ensure their ads did not cause serious or widespread offence in future.”

Lovato shot to fame in the Disney Channel film Camp Rock alongside the Jonas Brothers, and has since gone on to have a hugely successful career.

In 2021, Lovato came out as non-binary and changed their pronouns to they/them – with the star later confirming she also still uses she/her pronouns.

Earlier this year, Lovato alleged she was raped at the age of 15 while working for Disney, as well as admitting she had three strokes and a heart attack after her highly publicised 2018 drug overdose – adding she was “minutes from death”.