Lady Gaga has pretty much been on top of the world since hitting it big with "Just Dance" in 2008, but it hasn't been an easy ride for the eccentric songbird. The singer, born Stefani Joanne Germanotta, seems much more of a tortured artist than a pop queen. Behind the crazy costumes and booming voice, Gaga has suffered through a lot. Mother Monster had to overcome her past before she topped the charts and changed the music world forever, and she's made a mission of raising awareness of all of the issues that she's had to conquer.
Here are just some of the tragic things we've learned about the A Star Is Born superstar's struggles with fame and beyond — and how she's coped with them and helped others along the way.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Stefani Joanne Germanotta |
| Stage Name | Lady Gaga |
| Born | March 28, 1986 |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter, actress |
| Known For | Hit singles, fashion statements, advocacy for mental health |
Lady Gaga hid her sexual assault for years
Lady Gaga revealed to Howard Stern in 2014 that she was sexually assaulted by a music producer when she was a teenager. A year later, she expounded on the trauma she’d suffered, telling press, “I didn’t tell anyone for, I think, seven years. I didn’t know how to think about it. I didn’t know how to accept it. I didn’t know how not to blame myself, or think it was my fault. It was something that really changed my life. It changed who I was completely.”
Gaga channeled this tragic experience into "Til It Happens To You," a song she co-wrote about surviving sexual assault for the 2015 film The Hunting Ground. She explained to The Los Angeles Times that the song's acclaim was bittersweet for her: “Every time I listen to it, I cry. Every time I get a text about it, I always feel sick. It’s like this thing you don’t want to face.”
Lady Gaga suffered PTSD and suicidal thoughts
Lady Gaga has suffered from mental illness as a result of her traumatic sexual assault. She first revealed her struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the Today show in 2016, but opened up about it further in 2018 in a speech at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Patron of the Artists Awards.
“I began to notice that I would stare off into space and black out for seconds or minutes. I would see flashes of things I was tormented by, experiences that were filed away in my brain with ‘I’ll deal with you later’ for many years because my brain was protecting me, as science teaches us,” Gaga explained. She added that the condition later morphed into physical chronic pain, fibromyalgia, panic attacks, and debilitating mental spirals that have included suicidal ideation.
Lady Gaga's collaboration with R. Kelly has tragic roots
In 2013, Lady Gaga collaborated with R. Kelly for "Do What U Want (With My Body)," but the disturbing music video was scrapped before its release. Kelly was famously accused of sexual misconduct and assault, and after the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries aired in early 2019, many called for Gaga to address working with him.
She revealed her motive in a tweet, stating, “I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously. What I’m hearing about the allegations against R. Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible.” Gaga apologized for the collaboration, stating her intention was to create something defiant and provocative because she was angry and still hadn’t processed her own trauma.
There's a chance Lady Gaga will develop lupus
Lady Gaga revealed in June 2010 that she had a family history of lupus and that tests had her as "borderline positive" for the disease, despite not showing any active symptoms at the time. “Lupus is in my family, and it is genetic,” she shared. “So as of right now... I do not have it. But I have to take good care of myself.”
Symptoms of lupus, an autoimmune disease, can include fatigue, joint pain, and inflammation, but the illness can lie dormant for years with no symptoms at all. Experts have indicated that Gaga's test results are common for those with a relative who has lupus, but they remain hopeful that she may never actually develop the disease.
Lady Gaga battled drug addiction
As a result of her tragic experiences, Lady Gaga turned to self-medicating. In November 2013, she admitted to being addicted to marijuana, stating, "I was smoking up to 15, 20 marijuana cigarettes a day with no tobacco. I was living on a totally other psychedelic plane, numbing myself completely." She later confessed to experimenting with various substances, particularly during her Born This Way Ball tour.
Gaga also revealed in a 2011 interview that she struggled with cocaine addiction before her rise to fame, explaining, "I did it all alone in my apartment while I wrote music. And you know what? I regret every line I ever did. Don’t touch it. It’s the devil."
Eating disorders have tormented Lady Gaga all her life
In February 2012, Lady Gaga revealed that she had battled bulimia and anorexia since she was 15 years old. "I used to throw up all the time in high school. I wanted to be a skinny little ballerina but I was a voluptuous little Italian girl whose dad had meatballs on the table every night," she said. She emphasized the importance of talking to someone about eating disorders.
Gaga admitted that her bulimia affected her voice, causing significant damage. In a effort to inspire bravery, she launched the "Body Revolution" page on her website, posting un-retouched photos of herself and sharing her struggles with body image. "My weight/loss/gain since I was a child has tormented me," she wrote. "No amount of help has ever healed my pain about it. But YOU have."
There is a tragic side of fame for Lady Gaga
Despite having millions of fans, Lady Gaga struggles with loneliness exacerbated by her fame. In an open letter prior to the release of Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two, she expressed her conflicting emotions, noting the irony of being alone in "total silence" at night after performing for large crowds.
During promotional activities for A Star Is Born, she discussed how substance abuse can be an all-too-easy remedy for entertainers who feel isolated. “It’s very lonely being a performer. There’s a certain loneliness that I feel, anyway — that I’m the only one that does what I do,” she shared, highlighting the emotional toll that fame can take.
Lady Gaga suffers from chronic pain
A key takeaway from the documentary Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two was her struggle with chronic pain due to fibromyalgia. The condition led to her postponing or canceling tour dates in 2017 and 2018.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by symptoms such as nerve pain, trouble sleeping, and fatigue. Gaga shared her frustration with those who doubt the reality of fibromyalgia, stating, "Chronic pain is no joke. And it’s every day waking up not knowing how you’re going to feel." Thankfully, she reported being on the mend with the help of fantastic doctors.
A tragic loss inspired Lady Gaga's performance in A Star Is Born
Lady Gaga's emotional portrayal in A Star Is Born was influenced by the real-life tragedy of losing her best friend, Sonja Durham, to cancer. On set, she received the heartbreaking news just ten minutes too late to see her friend one last time.
After spending time with Durham's family, Gaga honored her friend's memory by channeling that grief into her performance, stating, “[Her husband] said, ‘You’ve gotta do what Sonja would want you to do.'” This tragic moment became a driving force behind her powerful performance in the film.
Lady Gaga's aunt Joanne also had a tragic life
The struggles of Lady Gaga's life mirror those of her late aunt, Joanne Germanotta, who inspired the album Joanne. Gaga spoke about the impact of her aunt's life, including her battle with sexual assault and lupus, which ultimately led to her death.
Gaga described her aunt's passing as “the center of
