Sabrina Carpenter has shut down speculation that her work is influenced by Lolita, after a photoshoot was compared to a scene from the controversial movie adaptation. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
Known for her tongue-in-cheek innuendos and flirty, irreverent style, the ‘Manchild’ singer isn’t one to shy away from pushing boundaries. This has been ramped up as she prepares to drop her new album ‘Man’s Best Friend’ in August.
Already, the album art – showing the singer on all fours as a man tugs at her hair – has sparked a heated debate. But when it comes to the allegations she’s taken inspiration from Lolita, she’s made it clear that people are reading way too much into it.
In response to a TikTok comparing an image from her September 2024 W Magazine photoshoot with a still from the 1997 Lolita movie, Carpenter wrote, “I’ve never seen this movie. It’s never been on my mood board and never would be.”
Why is Lolita controversial?
Lolita is controversial because it tells the story of a middle-aged man’s sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl. After becoming her stepfather, professor Humbert kidnaps Lolita – who he describes as a “nymphet” – and sexually abuses her.
The story was first introduced in the 1955 novel, written by Vladimir Nabokov. It’s widely considered a literary classic, but one that has drawn fierce criticism for its disturbing subject matter.
Two major film adaptations, directed by Stanley Kubrick (1962) and Adrian Lyne (1997), brought the story to wider audiences, often blurring the line between critique and glamorization.
Samuel Goldwyn FilmsOver time, “Lolita” has become cultural shorthand for the image of a precocious young girl and youthful desirability, which is completely detached from the novel’s original critique of manipulation and exploitation.
In fashion, music, and media, “Lolita” has come to represent an aesthetic that blends innocence with adult sexuality. That’s why references, even unintentional ones like Sabrina Carpenter’s recent photoshoot, can be so loaded.
The image in question shows the pop star laying on her front in a backyard as a sprinkler covers her in water. It’s undeniably similar to the sprinkler scene in the 1997 Lolita adaptation, but as Carpenter said, this was not her intention.
Another image that has drawn comparisons is the artwork on the vinyl edition of her new album, showing an older man at the foot of the bed as Carpenter lies back in her nightwear. It’s been shared side-by-side with a similar shot from Kubrick’s 1962 iteration.
Alongside this, one commenter wrote, “Sabrina Carpenter doing Lolita references in the big year of 2025, I’m sorry but some things are just inexcusable.”
Another said, “Y’all are b**ching about Sabrina Carpenter’s album cover when that isn’t the issue. The issue is her trying to make ‘Lolita’ into some aesthetic when that’s a book about pedophillia.”
However, the singer herself has set the record straight by revealing that she hasn’t seen the movie and would never use it as inspiration.
For less controversial movie news, check out our 2025 film release calendar and the best new movies to stream this month.
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