The Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese, was banned by the Bishop of New York from performing at Bette Midler’s famed Hulaween Gala.
Midler had invited Von Teese to perform at this year’s Halloween costume event, which took place Monday night at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue, in support of the New York Restoration Project.
But The Right Reverend Andrew M L Dietsche, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, was not pleased to hear of racy Von Teese’s slated show and ordered she not be allowed to perform inside his Cathedral Church, which according to its website, is a “house of prayer for all people and a unifying center of intellectual light and leadership.”
But Von Teese, who was briefly married to famed satanist Marilyn Manson until 2006, still showed up to support the Hulaween event, posing demurely on the red carpet with former “Hello Dolly” star Midler.
Other guests included Bernadette Peters and Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt, who inexplicably wore a giant jaunty hat with feathers, a disco ball jacket and a string of pink bulbs.
The Bishop didn’t respond to requests for comment. Von Teese told Page Six, “While I’m disappointed not to be performing as planned at this wonderful event, I respect the Bishop’s decision to ban burlesque in a functioning church!”
This article originally appeared on Page Six.