Demi Lovato's Album Poster Ban Sparks Discussion About Religion

A decision in the U.K. to ban posters promoting Demi Lovato's latest album, Holy Fvck, over concerns the imagery would likely cause "serious offense" to Christians has sparked a debate about religion on social media.

The U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced the decision on Wednesday, after looking over the promotional material that had been posted at different locations around London around the time of the album's August 2022 release.

In artwork for the original poster, Texas-raised Lovato, 30, was portrayed wearing a bondage-inspired ensemble while posing atop a large crucifix. The title of the album was written across the image.

"We considered that 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, together with the reference to 'holy fvck', 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 offense to Christians," the ASA said in a statement about its decision.

Lovato's label, Polydor Records, argued that it did not believe the poster would cause widespread offense, explaining that they had sought and obtained approval for running the image before it was publicly unveiled.

Per Polydor, the posters appeared at just six specific sites in the English capital for four days before they were removed on August 23, 2022. However, the poster attracted four complaints, amid concerns that the ad was placed where children could see it.

The ASA has subsequently ruled that the poster in question must not be publicly posted again, unless it is altered accordingly.

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of Lovato for comment.

As news of the ban circulated on social media, a number of Twitter users shared their mixed reactions to the decision.

"As if Christians don't offend people by not minding their damn business when it comes to people's lives," wrote one Twitter user.

"I'm a Christian and this was never offensive," said another, adding that "it's their relationship with God and their experience people need to mind their [business]."

Another commented that Christians "should be worried about this instead of an album cover," sharing a screenshot of a 2020 headline from U.K. newspaper The Independent that read: "Church of England forgave [pedophiles] and allowed them to continue working with children, inquiry finds."

However, a number of others felt that the ASA made the correct decision, with one writing: "Seeing people constantly mock Christianity just sad [...] cause if it was any other religion it'd be an uproar."

Another said that the ban was "good," adding that "it's pathetic how often celebs take Christians completely for granted—like 'oh they're not going to protest anyways so let's totally desecrate Christian symbols as much as we can!' If she tried this with Islam or any other religion the outrage would be DEAFENING."

"Of all the things to use for an album cover you chose the cross? There's a limit to disrespect you know," another tweeted.

One Twitter user posed the question: "What do people gain by depicting religious symbols in such a distasteful manner?? I find it very bizarre man."

Holy Fvck debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 at the time of its release in 2022. While promoting her album over the summer, Lovato revealed that the track "Heaven" from the project was inspired by a verse from the Bible.

"Matthew 5:30 says, 'If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off; [for] it's better to lose one part of your body than your entire body to hell.' That was a Bible verse I heard since I was young—too young to know what masturbation was," Lovato said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in August.

"And now, I have my own [line of] sex toys. Masturbation can be a form of self-care, it's not something to be ashamed of at all," explained Lovato—who is using she/her pronouns again, after going by they/them.

The verse Matthew 5:30 reads: "Cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee. That one of thy members should perish, and not. That thy whole body should be cast into hell."

Musician Lovato has spoken about her religious upbringing before and how it impacted her gender expression and sexuality.

"Growing up in Dallas, Texas, in the South, being Christian, there was a lot of norms that were already pushed onto me when it came to sexuality and gender," Lovato told Jane Fonda on the Fire Drill Fridays livestream in 2021.

"If I looked back at my life, there's been times where I felt more masculine, and then there's been times where I felt more feminine," she said.