Lady Gaga on the Negativity Surrounding Joker 2: 'People Just Sometimes Don't Like Some Things'

Lady Gaga Addresses the Backlash Against 'Joker: Folie à Deux'

Pop icon and actress Lady Gaga has finally addressed the mixed reception to her recent film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Following the film's release, Gaga remained largely silent on the matter, despite her significant role as Harley Quinn and the release of a companion album, Harlequin. In a recent interview with Elle, she shared her perspective on the negative criticism.

Gaga explained that she navigated the negativity, as she does with any challenging release, by managing her expectations beforehand. She acknowledged that not everyone will appreciate every artistic endeavor. "People just sometimes don’t like some things," she stated. "It’s that simple. And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended."

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Released last October, Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to Todd Phillips' 2019 hit, received less-than-stellar reviews from critics and audiences alike. Currently holding a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film's theatrical run was short-lived, leading to a swift digital release. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav later described the film's performance as "disappointing."

Gaga candidly addressed the anxieties surrounding potential failure, stating, "When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem."

Despite the mixed reception, Gaga continues to forge ahead with her other projects. Her new studio album, Mayhem, is slated for release this March, marking the culmination of a five-year wait since her last album, Chromatica. For further perspectives on Joker: Folie à Deux, explore differing opinions from Quentin Tarantino and Hideo Kojima, and see our review of 2024's biggest cinematic disappointments.