Lady Gaga has revealed that the hostile reaction to Joker: Folie à Deux made her “laugh” because it was “just getting so unhinged”.
READ MORE: ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ review: Lady Gaga shines in a provocative prison musical
The sequel to 2019’s hugely successful Joker was released at the end of last year and saw Gaga play Harley Quinn alongside Joaquin Phoenix’s title character. It was met with hugely negative reviews from critics and went on to deliver a dismal performance at the box office, too.
Many were taken aback by director Todd Phillips’ decision to switch direction and make the second film a musical, which Gaga herself described at the time as “a very big swing”, although she praised Phillips’ “audacity and complexity”.
Now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone, she has reflected on the experience. “There was a ton of negativity around Joker,” she said. “And I think I was feeling artistically rebellious at the time.”
Recalling how the backlash affected her, she added: “I wasn’t, like, unfazed. It’s funny, I’m almost nervous to share my reaction. But the truth is, when it first started happening, I started laughing. Because it was just getting so unhinged.”
“When it takes a while for something to kind of dissipate, that can be a little bit more painful,” she explained. “Only because I put a lot of myself into it.”
It is not the first time that Gaga has addressed the film’s public reception. In January, she told Elle: “People just sometimes don’t like some things. It’s that simple.”
“I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it,” she continued. “And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended.”
She also poked fun at the reaction during her Saturday Night Live opening monologue in March, quipping: “Anyway, I’m an actor now! And I’ve been very diligent about selecting films that would showcase my craft as a serious actor. Films such as Joker 2…apparently, people thought it was awesome.”
NME awarded Folie à Deux four stars, noting: “However, Folie à Deux‘s boldest move is the way it confronts and challenges key elements of the first film, specifically the way Joker became a figurehead for disillusioned malcontents, who delighted in his anarchic, murderous activities. Here, despite repeating the line “give the audience what they want” several times, the film does the exact opposite, at least as far as certain Bat-obsessed members of the fanbase who just want to see more of the same will be concerned – at certain points this feels like blatant teasing, and it’s bound to provoke a reaction.”
Elsewhere, Gaga is set to be a part of The Devil Wears Prada 2, which will be released on May 1, 2026, and recently played a significant role in the second season of Wednesday.
She released her sixth studio album ‘Mayhem‘ in March and is currently touring with her ‘Mayhem Ball’ show. NME attended a London show and gave it five stars, describing it as “just perfect”.
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