Sabrina Carpenter brought up her potential role in the recent indictment of New York mayor Eric Adams last night during her concert at Madison Square Garden. Speaking to the cheering audience, Carpenter recognized the speculation, saying, “Damn, what now?Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted, or…”
Rumors have been swirling that it was the production of Carpenter’s “Feather” music video that led to an investigation into the alleged corruption. The video, directed by Mia Barnes, was filmed in the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church caused a controversy when it was released in October, leading to the Diocese of Brooklyn saying it was “appalled” with the “violent and sexually provocative” video. The church had to be re-blessed and Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, who allowed Carpenter to shoot the video in the church, was demoted.
In a statement, Gigantiello said he was upset by the video, and offered “sincere apologies” to the church and its parishioners, saying that he had agreed to allow the video to be filmed to “strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community and the parish.”
Carpenter, for her part, told told Variety that she had permission to film there. “We got approval in advance,” the singer said. “And Jesus was a carpenter.”
According to the New York Post, federal investigators subpoenaed the church last week regarding “business dealings” between Gigantiello, a close associate of Adams, and the mayor’s ex-chief of staff, Frank Carone. Suggestion has been made that the “Feather” music video shoot may have led to a broader review of Gigantiello’s actions, resulting in the investigation into Adams.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further on that review, which is still ongoing,” the Diocese of Brooklyn told the Post in a statement. “The Diocese is fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement in all investigations, including conduct at individual parishes or involving any priest.”
During her performance of “Feather” at Madison Square Garden, Carpenter further nodded to the controversy, noting at the end of the song, “I’m playing at MSG and you’re not!”
Last week, Adams was indicted on federal criminal charges, becoming the first mayor of the city to be charged with criminal offenses while in office. Although the nature of the charges remains unclear, prior to the indictment, Adams and his administration were caught in a tangled web of federal investigations involving subpoenas, raids, and turmoil within city hall.
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Adams replied to the charges in a statement, saying, “I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
The “Feather” music video currently has more than 89 million views on YouTube.
