The latest video from Rihanna, “S&M” has already stirred up controversy for its racy theme and sexually explicit theme but now the star has found herself in further hot water as a photographer has claimed that Rihanna stole his images for the video.

Photographer Davis LaChapelle had said that the brightly coloured video was “directly derived” from pictures he has taken.

David LaChapelle is a prominent American fashion photographer who has worked in the past for big name titles such as “Vanity Fair” and “Rolling Stone” and is now looking for unspecified damages for the use of his imagery in the “S&M” music video.

LaChapelle claims that the video copied the “composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colors, props, settings, decor, wardrobe and lighting” of his photographs.

In particular, a scene which shows Rihanna in profile against a blue background with a sweet on her tongue, bears an undeniable likeness to previous works by the photographer.

No comment has yet been made from the Rihanna camp regarding the law suit although it is expected that the announcement will take away some of the sparkle from the Grammy Award that the 22 year singer won on Sunday evening for her song “Only Girl (In The World) which won the prize for Best Dance Recording.