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

Lady Gaga Addresses Backlash to 'Joker: Folie à Deux'

Pop icon and actress Lady Gaga has finally addressed the mixed reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Following the film's release, Gaga, who portrayed Harley Quinn, remained largely silent on the matter. Her involvement extended to a companion album, Harlequin, further solidifying her commitment to the project. However, in a recent interview with Elle, she opened up about her experience navigating the negative feedback.

Gaga revealed that she managed the criticism, as she does with any challenging release, by tempering her expectations beforehand. She stated simply, "People just sometimes don’t like some things. 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 underwhelming 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 even described the film's performance as "disappointing."

Gaga acknowledged the challenges of facing such criticism, 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 less-than-stellar reception, Gaga is moving forward. She recently announced the release of her new album, Mayhem, in March 2025, ending a five-year hiatus since Chromatica. For further perspectives on Joker: Folie à Deux, explore differing opinions from Quentin Tarantino and Hideo Kojima, and review our list of 2024's biggest cinematic disappointments.