For numerous men, the opportunity to have an internationally renowned pop star undress at their doorstep would be a reason to celebrate. However, this was not the case for 61-year-old farmer Alan Graham, as Rihanna discovered when she posed topless on his property for an explicit video shoot.
After Mr. Graham interrupted the filming to ask her to cover up, the 23-year-old singer had no choice but to make a quick exit from the muddy field in Northern Ireland.
While filming the video for her latest single, We Found Love, alongside Scottish DJ Calvin Harris—during which she donned a bikini made of red handkerchiefs—Rihanna was spotted by Mr. Graham as she began to strip down.
The angry farmer, who requested that filming cease, defended his stance yesterday by calling Rihanna’s behavior ‘inappropriate’.
Mr. Graham had permitted a portion of his land in Bangor, County Down, to be used for the filming but was unaware of what the production team had planned for the star.
The father of four, who serves on the Democratic Unionist Party in North Down Borough Council, stated, ‘I had never heard of Rihanna until someone called me requesting to use my land. It was only on Monday that I learned who she was.’
‘Someone informed me that she is as prominent as it gets in the realm of pop stars. I admit I am not well-versed in such matters.’
‘I realized that the situation had escalated to a level that was unacceptable for me. It became inappropriate, and I requested the film crew to stop.’
‘If someone wishes to use my field and the situation turns inappropriate, I assert, “Enough is enough. You cannot do that.” She recognized my position. We parted ways amicably after shaking hands.’
Mr. Graham, who owns 60 acres in Clandeboye just outside Bangor, remarked, ‘There was no formal arrangement regarding the use of the field.’
‘All that was going to happen was not clearly communicated to me.’
‘To be fair to those who approached me about the land, I don’t believe they were aware either of what would occur.’
‘As of now, I have not received any payment and I’m unsure if I will.’
Rihanna is set to perform three sold-out concerts at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena this weekend.
This is not the first time the Grammy award-winning singer, known for hits like Rude Boy and S&M, has generated controversy with her daring outfits.
Her performance on last year’s X Factor final, which was viewed live by over a million young viewers, received a wave of complaints from outraged audiences.
The performance, which also featured singer Christina Aguilera and her dancers in an even more provocative routine, spurred 2,868 complaints directed to media regulator Ofcom.
When questioned if he would consider the complaints for this year’s series, X Factor mogul Simon Cowell responded, ‘I believe we will have to tone it down a bit based on the feedback we received.’
Ofcom stated: ‘We have been discussing over the summer to emphasize that we do not want to see such content again. ’
‘Our goal is to ensure that during family-friendly primetime shows, viewers feel secure and that the rules are followed.’
Last week, Rihanna shared a series of messages regarding her new song on Twitter to her nearly 8 million followers prior to the track’s first airplay on Thursday.
She tweeted: ‘By the way, I just HAVE to express immense gratitude for all the #MAJAH support on my first single WE FOUND LOVE!!! Listen to it on iTunes if you haven’t.’
The song features a dance vibe and follows a house riff that builds up before the heavy beat kicks in.
The title, We Found Love, started trending on Twitter after Def Jam launched an extensive online campaign over two weeks ago.
by Milo Johnson
