Lady Gaga says she is lucky to be alive.
The “Poker Face” star revealed she was taking mood stabilizers to treat her mental health while filming “A Star Is Born” in 2017 and that she later suffered a psychotic break.
“I did ‘A Star Is Born’ on lithium,” the Grammy winner, 39, told Rolling Stone in an interview published Thursday.
Lady Gaga on the cover of the latest issue of Rolling Stone. Greg Swales/ Rolling Stone
The “Poker Face” singer opened up about her mental health troubles during the interview. Greg Swales/ Rolling StoneLithium is used to treat mania that is part of bipolar disorder, per the Mayo Clinic, as well as to reduce the frequency and severity of manic episodes. Gaga has never publicly disclosed a diagnosis.
Shortly after she and co-star Bradley Cooper wrapped up filming on the 2018 musical, Gaga kicked off her Joanne World Tour. It ran from August 2017 to February 2018, and it was then that the Grammy winner suffered her mental health episode.
“There was one day that my sister said to me, ‘I don’t see my sister anymore.’ And I canceled the tour,” Gaga shared. “There was one day I went to the hospital for psychiatric care.”
Bradley Cooper and Gaga in “A Star Is Born.” AP
Cooper as Jackson Maine and Gaga as Ally Campana in “A Star Is Born.” AP
“A Star Is Born” was nominated for eight Oscars at the 91st Academy Awards. AP“I needed to take a break,” she continued. “I couldn’t do anything. … I completely crashed. It was really scary. There was a time where I didn’t think I could get better.”
Gaga, however, received the mental help she needed and was feeling better by the time “A Star Is Born” received eight nominations at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019. She won the Oscar for best original song for “Shallow.”
“I feel really lucky to be alive,” Gaga acknowledged. “I know that might sound dramatic, but we know how this can go.”
The “Bad Romance” hitmaker revealed she suffered her psychotic episode during her Joanne World Tour. Greg Swales/ Rolling Stone
Gaga said she is “really lucky to be alive” following her psychotic break eight years ago. Greg Swales/ Rolling StoneThe “Born This Way” hitmaker now considers herself a “healthy, whole person” and credits her fiancé, Michael Polansky, with helping get her there.
Gaga and Polansky, 42, began dating in 2020. He asked the pop superstar to marry him in April last year.
“Being in love with someone that cares about the real me made a very big difference,” she shared. “What he saw was, this is somebody that feels very far away from what they’re supposed to be doing.”
Gaga credits fiancé Michael Polansky with helping make her a “healthy, whole person” again. ladygaga/Instagram
Polansky proposed to the Grammy winner in April 2024. ladygaga/Instagram
Gaga and Polansky out and about in Barcelona, Spain, in October. Gus Gonzalves / SplashNews.com“He wanted to take care of me. And I’ve never been loved that way,” Gaga added of her fiancé. “My life was serious to him. It was not a party. He helped me see that my life was precious.”
During her chat with Rolling Stone, Gaga opened up about “Joker: Folie à Deux” bombing at the box office.
Gaga opened up about “Joker: Folie à Deux” during her interview. Greg Swales/ Rolling StoneGaga starred in the 2024 “Joker” sequel alongside Joaquin Phoenix, and it received poor reactions from fans and critics alike.
“I wasn’t, like, unfazed,” she said of its poor reception. “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,” Gaga added. “Only because I put a lot of myself into it.”
