'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEF/8QAIBAAAQQCAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAUAEQYhByJBUf/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME/8QAFxEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARMf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AsTn/ACiJKtq6rnqdVAiPuuF9RIUhGySnfYUf3fWblD5Lmv0dc8/cSC85GbWvbe/YpBPf3GMnXCTrf//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Music video director Diane Martel has died at the age of 63.
Most known for having worked with heavyweights like Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, and Nicki Minaj, she reportedly succumbed to breast cancer. Martel was credited with some of the most legendary pop music videos of the last two decades.
As reported by Rolling Stone, Diane Martel's family issued a statement confirming her demise:
“Diane passed away peacefully at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital – surrounded by friends and family – after a long battle with breast cancer. She is survived by her Aunt, Gail Merrifield Papp (wife of Joseph Papp, founder of The Public Theatre), her three beloved, loyal cats (Poki, PopPop, PomPom) and many loving lifetime friends.”
Diane Martel's life and legacy explored:
Diane Martel was born on May 7, 1962, and raised in New York City, where she broke into the music industry in the early 1990s. Her breakthrough collaborations came with Mariah Carey, whom she shot several projects for over the course of a decade, including Dreamlover and All I Want For Christmas Is You, which reportedly boasts over 900 million views on YouTube.
Back in 2013, she directed two of the most controversial music videos of the last decade. According to Rolling Stone, these were Miley Cyrus' "We Can’t Stop" and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" with Pharrell and T.I. The videos triggered a wave of backlash, but Diane Martel stood her ground:
My shit is on point right now,” she boasted to Rolling Stone that year, adding: “I do have to admit I like being provocative. That’s punk, that’s rock & roll, that’s hip-hop. It’s passionate. We’re not doing pharmaceutical ads.”
She also worked with Robin Thicke, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Franz Ferdinand.
However, Blurred Lines remained the focal point of her career. Critics argued that its lyrics referred to non-consensual intimacy. Diane Martel spoke to Grantland that same year, stating she wanted to "deal with" any misogynistic lyrics.
"I don't think the video is sexist," she said. "The lyrics are ridiculous. The guys are silly as f**k."
Emily Ratajkowski and Elle Evans also made cameos in the music video.
Rolling Stone has reported that Martel was a high school dropout. She began her career as a dancer, performer, and street artist, among other things. She is also credited as a dancer and choreographer on the film Reckin' Shop: Live From Brooklyn, a 1992 documentary about hip-hop dancers. Later that year, she directed her first project: Onyx's "Throw Ya Gunz."
Trending
Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.
Reply
