Dalai Lama Controversy Worsens As Resurfaced Clip Shows Him Touching Lady Gaga's Leg

The Dalai Lama recently went viral on social media after a video showed him kissing a child. The scandal surrounding him has worsened as another video went viral showing the Tibetan religious leader touching singer Lady Gaga in what many consider inappropriate.

A Tibetan government official has since defended the religious leader's strange behavior with the child, saying his actions were "innocent." Tsering, the official, said the Dalai Lama has always followed the life of "a Buddhist monk," including celibacy. The Dalai Lama posted an apology statement on Twitter after the controversy, saying he regretted his actions.

Read on to find out more. 

A 2016 video recently went viral showing Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama, touching singer and actress Lady Gaga on her leg. The incident happened while both figures attended a compassion conference in Indiana. The meeting was on providing support to victims of physical and psychological difficulties. 

The video, which spanned about 17 seconds, showed the Dalai Lama ignoring the speaker to stare at Gaga's legs. He's then seen touching the singer's legs with his hands, and when he tries to touch the other leg, Gaga grabs his hands and moves them away. The video has gone viral on social media, with much condemnation for the Dalai Lama's actions. 

The video of the Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga surfaced due to a more recent controversy involving the religious leader. A video of the Tibetan leader at a young people's charity event with the M3M Foundation in India recently trended on social media. 

The clip showed the Dalai Lama asking a child to kiss him and suck his tongue. He was giving a speech when the young boy came up to bow, prompting the leader to invite the child to his table. He then hugged the boy, kissed him on the mouth, and requested him to "suck" his tongue. 

The video recently surfaced on Twitter and immediately sparked outrage about the religious leader's "immoral behavior." Many stated that the request and kiss on the lips were highly wrong to someone with the Dalai Lama's position and influence and criticized him heavily. 

After the video of the Dalai Lama and the child went viral, a Tibetan official said the religious leader's actions were "innocent." Penpa Tsering, the official, is currently the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile and, according to CNN, spoke to reports while attending an event in New Delhi. 

Tsering claimed that social media "misinterpreted" the actions of the Dalai Lama, who had no weird intentions for the child. He said, "His Holiness has always lived in sanctity, like a Buddhist monk, including celibacy. His years of spiritual practice have gone beyond sensory pleasures." 

Tsering also stated that the outrage over the video has gotten so bad that the Dalai Lama "is now being labeled with all kinds of names." He shared that the extreme criticism has also "hurt" those who follow the Dalai Lama and see him as an inspirational figure. 

On Monday, the Dalai Lama posted an apology statement on Twitter, saying his actions were "innocent." The Nobel peace laureate wrote, "A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug."

He continued, "His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends worldwide, for the hurt his words may have caused. His Holiness often teases people he meets innocently and playfully, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident." 

During his conversation with the reporters, Tsering also hinted that the video being shared online and the subsequent backlash was planned. He claimed that "pro-Chinese sources" had instigated the whole controversy and said, "The political angle of this incident cannot be ignored."