Britney Spears has recently been celebrating her sixth studio album, “Circus,” with a slew of supporting performances and appearances, but not everyone is celebrating the pop star’s moment under the big top. On Monday, the animal rights organization PETA released a statement condemning Spears’ new video for the title track of her album.
The organization alleges that “cruelly trained lions and elephants” were used for the “Circus” video. The group claims they wrote to the pop star explaining “how trainers shock, whip, and beat exotic animals into performing.”
“Britney may think her life is a circus, but for the animals who are whipped, chained, and beaten to perform under the real big top, the cruelty is very real,” PETA Director Debbie Leahy said in a statement. “She may be headed for a comeback, but when it comes to animals, she still can’t get her act together.”
PETA has posted an action alert on its Web site where people can write to Spears asking her to stop using exotic animals in her videos and concerts.
This is not the first time Spears has used exotic animals. During her 2001 MTV Video Music Awards performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U,” she shared the stage with a giant boa constrictor.