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

Pop superstar and actor Lady Gaga has addressed the mixed reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Since the film's release, Gaga, who portrayed Harley Quinn, has largely remained silent, though she released a companion album, Harlequin. In a recent interview with Elle, she shared her perspective on the negative feedback. Gaga explained that she manages the pressure of critical response by setting realistic expectations beforehand. "People just sometimes don’t like some things," she 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 Todd Phillips' 2019 hit, premiered last October to less-than-stellar reviews from critics and audiences alike. It currently holds a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics deeming it a missed opportunity. Its theatrical run was short-lived, leading to a swift digital release and prompting Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to label its performance "disappointing."

Gaga acknowledged the challenges of navigating 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 film's reception, Gaga is moving forward with other projects. Her new studio album, Mayhem, is set for release this March, ending a five-year gap since her last album, Chromatica. For further insights into Joker: Folie à Deux, you can read about Quentin Tarantino's positive response and Hideo Kojima's prediction of a changing critical consensus over time. You can also find our list of 2024's biggest disappointments [here].