Rihanna with David LaChapelle’s picture.
The photographer is suing Rihanna because scenes in her “S&M” video seem to resemble his images. He alleges that the video copied his lighting, wardrobe, and props, among other things. A judge evidently believes LaChapelle has a case, and set a pre-trial date for August 10. “I like RiRi,” LaChapelle said. “This is not personal, it’s strictly business. Musicians commonly pay to sample music or use someone’s beats and there should be no difference when sampling an artist’s visuals.” [MTV UK]