Priest From Sabrina Carpenter Music Video Loses Job, Accused of Mishandling Funds
Please, please, please tell us this isn’t so. Looks like a New York priest is being disciplined for allowing Sabrina Carpenter to shoot a music video in his church and accused of mishandling funds. Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello has been relieved of his duties and an investigation claims that he mishandled nearly $2 million in parish funds.
Last year, the priest lost his position due to the pop singer’s music video for her song, Feather, being partially shot inside a Brooklyn, New York church. Following the discipline of the music video shoot, an investigation into the priest began.
The music video focuses on the deaths of several men who behaved inappropriately toward her. In the video, she pulls up to the church in a pink hearse and once inside, dances around the altar in front of multiple pastel colored coffins depicting the men.
“The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script,” the diocese said in a statement. Following the backlash, Gigantiello published a letter apologizing for his role in allowing the filming within the church. “This shameful representation, which I whole-heatedly renounce,” he said in a statement.
Priest Investigated Following Sabrina Carpenter Music Video
Although stripped of some duties, he was still involved in the church over the last year, but following a recent investigation officials state that he has been stripped of even more duties due to a “pattern of serious violations of Diocesan policies and protocols.”
Bishop Robert Brennan told NPR that Gigantiello was relieved of “any pastoral oversight or governance role.” Bishop Brennan also states that Gigantiello “mishandled substantial church funds and interfered with the administration of the Parish after being directed not to do so.”
Looks like this one music video trickled down an entire change in leadership and organization after unlocking more in-depth information regarding Gigantiello. The music video is still on YouTube and has generated over 100 million views.