Sabrina Carpenter’s Church Video Shoot Leads to Priest’s Demotion

Sabrina Carpenter‘s filming of her “Feather” music video in a Catholic church has landed the priest who OK’d it in seriously hot water.

The priest, Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, was relieved from “any pastoral oversight or governance role” at Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish on Monday, according to a statement issued by Bishop Robert Brennan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.

Per the Associated Press, Brennan said he was “saddened” that private investigations into the church leader’s financial dealings “uncovered evidence of serious violations of … policies and protocols.”

Carpenter came under fire for the church setting of the “Feather” music video after it was released in October 2023. The video includes scenes of the pop star dancing at an altar in suggestive clothing and of men killing themselves over her.

The visual prompted an investigation that revealed Gigantiello’s unauthorized transfers of $1.9 million in parish funds from 2019 to 2021 to accounts linked to Frank Carone, former chief of staff to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

While Carone’s law firm repaid $1 million of the funds with about 9% interest, the matter remains under federal investigation.

Brennan said additional findings in the church’s probe included Gigantiello’s alleged use of a church credit card for personal expenses.

Last November, Gigantiello said approving the filming of “Feather” was a “lapse of judgment,” adding that he wasn’t present at the shoot and didn’t know how provocative it would be.

Carpenter joked about the situation at her Madison Square Garden concert in September, telling the audience, “Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted?”