Just days after Lady Gaga fired back at PETA for criticizing her for wearing fur, the Mother Monster has released a lengthy statement to address her decision to wear clothing made of fur and offering up a mea culpa to her Little Monsters who may have felt hurt by her curt response, "Please don't forget to credit the designer HERMES." In it, she notes that she maintains certain rules when it comes to wearing it and that she looks at the material as art.

"To the fans. i want you to know that I care deeply about your feelings and views, and I will always support your philosophies about life. We've been having over-arching conversations about society, equality, and politics for the past five years, and we should continue," she writes in a letter on her Little Monsters website. "I do not however support violent, abusive, and childish campaigns for ANY CAUSE.

Particularly one that I respect. 'Animal Rights.' I am choosing not to comment on whether or not the furs I purchase are faux fur-pile or real because I would think it [hypocritical] not to acknowledge the python, ostrich, cow hide, leather, lamb, alligator, 'kermit' and not to mention meat, that I have already worn. This should already put me in a category as one who appreciates and adores the beauty of animals in fashion, but am not a strict vegan."

She then breaks down the types of fur she invests in and why. "I have truly always stayed away from skinned fur, especially since I have never been able to afford a nice one, but this does not mean my morals are rigid and that I won't bend at the sight of an absolute art piece of a coat. I have no chains about this. You see a carcass, I see a museum pièce de résistance," she writes. "But I am truly sorry to fans who are upset by this, its a fair and applaudable feeling about the health and safety of animals. I respect your views, please respect mine."

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