Demi Lovato Ad Featuring Bondage, a Crucifix and the F-Word Banned in the UK

A poster of singer Demi Lovato wearing bondage-style clothing and lying on a bed shaped like a cross has been banned from the United Kingdom for being “likely to cause serious offence to Christians.” The ad, which promotes Lovato’s latest album, “Holy F***,” and uses artwork from the album, was removed in August 2022. The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld the decision in a ruling released today (Jan. 11). 

“We considered…the image of Ms Lovato bound up in a bondage-style outfit whilst lying on a mattress shaped like a crucifix, in a position with her legs bound to one side which was reminiscent of Christ on the cross,” said the ASA in its ruling. The ASA goes on to say that the image, “together with the reference to “holy [f***],” 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.” 

Lovato’s album title does not technically include a swear word, but changes one letter of the f-word so that, says the ASA, the meaning “would be clear to most readers.”

Demi Lovato’s Album Wrestles With Her Demons 

Demi Lovato got her start in entertainment as a child actor on “Barney & Friends,” and she went on to appear in TV series and films including “Camp Rock,” “The X Factor” and “Glee.” She released her debut album, “Don’t Forget,” in 2008 and her latest album in August 2022. It is her eighth studio album. Lovato’s newest album debuted in the top spot on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart and in the seventh position on the Billboard 200. 

Throughout her career, Demi Lovato has had serious challenges with substance abuse and has struggled with bulimia and self-harm. In 2018, she suffered a widely publicized drug overdose from opioids. She has also revealed that she has been raped twice. In 2021, Lovato came out as non-binary and said that her preferred pronouns were “they/them.” She has since changed her pronouns to “she/her,” explaining that she had been “feeling more feminine.”

In its ruling about Lovato’s poster, ASA said the ad was featured in six places throughout London in August 2022, drawing complaints from people who found it offensive and who were concerned that children would see it. The ads were up for four days before being taken down on Aug. 23, 2022. 

Polydor Records told ASA it did not believe that the poster was offensive, but ASA concluded it would be clear to people that the album’s title refers to the f-word and said the ad was “targeted irresponsibly” because children could see it. ASA also concluded that Christians would find it offensive because of the religious imagery incorporated in the ad. ChurchLeaders has reached out to Demi Lovato for comment and will update this article in the event of a reply. 

Notably, Lovato has explored Christianity at least at one point in her life. In 2020, she shared with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that she had been attending church. “I was not really a big ‘church’ person, like even a month ago,” she said at the time. But she went when her manager, Scooter Braun, invited her to a Bible study. Lovato said, “I just heard God clearer than I had heard him in a long time.”