Exclusive

Selena Gomez Cuts Controversial Pink Horses from New Music Video

Exclusive! Why the starlet's "Love You Like a Love Song" will not feature painted animals as originally planned

By Marc Malkin, Ken Baker, Brett Malec Jun 02, 2011 8:26 PMTags
Selena GomezAlbert Michael/startraksphoto.com

Pink can breathe easy. Selena Gomez is putting her painted ponies back in the barn.

Nearly two weeks after the "Raise Your Glass" singer blasted Gomez for using pink-tinted horses in her upcoming music video for "Love You Like a Love Song," E! News has exclusively learned that the color-enhanced animals will no longer be featured in the clip's final cut.

What exactly went down?

Turns out Justin Bieber's gal was not so comfortable with the whole concept after all.

"When Selena was presented the idea for the video, no one informed her the horses would be painted and she had assumed they would be colored in post-production [via special effects]," a production insider tells us. "When she showed up to the set she was very surprised to see them painted."

Controversy over the lavender-locked horses began when Pink called the Wizards of Waverly Place star out via Twitter.

"If there are any animal activists around Malibu-at Leo Cabrillo State Beach, there are horses being painted for a stupid music video," the PETA supporter tweeted. "Artists should be more aware and responsible for their actions."

While PETA spokesman Dan Mathews insists "there are no safe ways to paint a live horse or any animal," Gomez's camp released a statement assuring that "no animals were harmed and all proper precautions were taken. A nontoxic, vegetable-based powder paint was applied via an airbrush and removed with water."

A first look at Gomez's "Love You Like a Love Song" video along with an exclusive interview with the singer will debut on E! News June 22.

—Additional reporting by Sheena Rao