Demi Lovato comes under fire for Putin gay kiss image

Demi Lovato has been criticised for featuring a controversial image of Russian President Vladimir Putin in her New York City Pride set.

The singer was performing her latest single Really Don’t Care when two of her male backing dancers kissed each other. One of the dancers had a picture of Putin’s face attached to his underwear.

Her actions caused quite a stir in Russia, with hashtags like #StayStrongPutin and #DemiHurtRussianLovatics – a reference to her self-styled “Lovatics” fan base – used in discussions about the performance.

Lovato took to Twitter on Sunday (June 29) to address the controversy, posting:

I never called anybody a piece of shit… But I did have Putin struttin’ in a rainbow thong. Get your facts straight bitchesss

— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) June 30, 2014

Many of the singer’s Russian fans are unhappy as they believe her actions will lead to her being prohibited from performing in their country.

Lovato celebrated gay life in her music video for Really Don’t Care, which was filmed on location at Los Angeles Pride.

Meanwhile, she recently revealed that her own grandfather was a gay man, describing him as a “trailblazer” for coming out in the 1960s.

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