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

Pop music superstar and actor Lady Gaga recently shared her thoughts on the negative reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Despite largely remaining silent about her role since the movie's release, Gaga portrayed a more grounded version of the iconic DC comics villain Harley Quinn. She also expanded her involvement with the film by releasing a companion album titled Harlequin. In a candid conversation with Elle, Gaga opened up about managing her expectations and dealing with the film's less-than-favorable reviews.

"People just sometimes don’t like some things," Gaga stated. "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."

Joker: Folie à Deux, a sequel to director Todd Phillips' groundbreaking 2019 film, premiered last October but faced criticism from both critics and fans. The movie currently holds a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from both audience and critic scores. Our own review rated it 5/10, describing it as a "mediocre" film that "wastes its potential as a movie musical, a courtroom drama, and a sequel that has anything meaningful to say about or add to the first Joker." The film's disappointing theatrical run led to an early digital release, with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav labeling its performance as "disappointing."

Reflecting on the fear of failure, Gaga admitted, "When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem."

Despite the setback with Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga is forging ahead with new projects. She announced that her latest studio album, Mayhem, is set to release this March, marking the end of a five-year hiatus since her last full-length album, Chromatica. For further insights into Joker 2, you can explore why Quentin Tarantino says he loved the sequel and why Hideo Kojima believes the movie’s reception will change over time. Additionally, check out our list of the biggest disappointments of 2024 here.