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 its release, Gaga, who portrayed Harley Quinn, remained largely silent on the film's performance, despite releasing a companion album, Harlequin. In a recent interview with Elle, she revealed her perspective on the negative criticism.

Gaga explained that she navigated the negativity, as she does with any challenging project, by managing her expectations beforehand. She acknowledged that audience reactions are unpredictable, stating, “People just sometimes don’t like some things. 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 underwhelming reviews from critics and audiences alike. Its 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes reflects this less-than-stellar reception. The film's box office performance was also deemed "disappointing" by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, leading to a swift digital release. Gaga acknowledged the challenges of dealing with such feedback, 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 response to Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga continues to focus on future projects. Her new album, Mayhem, is set for release this March, ending a five-year hiatus since Chromatica. For further perspectives on the film, explore differing opinions from Quentin Tarantino and Hideo Kojima, and read our review of 2024's biggest cinematic disappointments.