"Horrifying and indefensible": Lady Gaga issues powerful apology about R Kelly.

Of all the famous names to have worked with accused sexual predator, R Kelly, only a tiny handful have come forward to express their regret. John Legend. Chance the Rapper. And now Lady Gaga.

After criticism mounted about the singer’s decision to stay silent on the issue, on Thursday she finally spoke up, apologising for a 2013 collaboration with the RnB star, who is facing allegations that he committed multiple acts of sexual abuse, some against underage girls. The claims have been aired via the six-part documentary series Surviving R Kelly, in which several women reported being beaten, sexually assaulted and imprisoned by Kelly.

In a statement, Gaga described the allegations against the 52-year-old as “horrifying and indefensible” and promised fans their song, ‘Do What U Want (With My Body)’, would be removed from streaming services.

"As a victim of sexual assault myself, I made both the song and the video at a dark time in my life, my intention was to create something extremely defiant and provocative because I was angry and still hadn't processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life," Lady Gaga said in a statement.

"The song is called 'Do What U Want (With My Body),' I think it's clear how explicitly twisted my thinking was at the time.

"I intend to remove this song off of iTunes and other streaming platforms and will not be working with him again. I'm sorry, both for my poor judgement when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner."

I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault: pic.twitter.com/67sz4WpV3i

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 10, 2019

The claims against R Kelly aren't all new. In 2017 the claims first surfaced that he had harassed, kidnapped and sexually abused women that lived with him as part of a "cult".

And back in 2002, Kelly had been charged in of making child pornography after a tape circulated that appeared to show him having sex with women, one of whom appeared underage. In the end, though, he was acquitted.

As an outspoken advocate for sexual assault survivors, Gaga's decision to work with the singer in 2013 raised plenty of eyebrows.

Among the lyrics of their song:
"Write what you want, say what you want 'bout me
If you're wondering, know that I'm not sorry
Do what you want, what you want with my body."

At the time Gaga defended the collaboration.

"R Kelly and I have sometimes very untrue things written about us, so in a way this was a bond between us," she said, according to CNN.

"That we were able to say, the public, they can have our bodies, but they cannot have our mind or our heart. It was a really natural collaboration."

Now though, Gaga doesn't seem to believe claims written about R Kelly are "very untrue" anymore.