American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga has spoken out about the wave of poor reviews of Joker: Folie à Deux, and said it eventually got so “unhinged” she had to laugh it off.
Joker: Folie à Deux, directed by Todd Phillips — featured Gaga as Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix, who reprised his Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck. The sequel panned out quite differently from the first, which made more than USD 1 billion globally and was a critical success.
Speaking to American entertainment magazine Rolling Stone, Gaga said, “There was a ton of negativity around Joker. And I think I was feeling artistically rebellious at the time… I wasn’t unfazed. 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.”
She admitted that the criticism did eventually hurt, given the emotional investment she put into the character. “When it takes a while for something to dissipate, that can be a little bit more painful. Only because I put a lot of myself into it,” she said.
The film also featured Connor Storrie in a pivotal role.
The 39-year-old singer got seven nods at the 2026 Grammy Awards, bagging nominations in categories including Album of the Year for Mayhem — a return to her electro-pop roots.
She recently starred in Netflix’s popular gothic drama Wednesday Season 2, alongside Jenna Ortega. She will be next seen in Devil Wears Prada 2 alongside Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. Filming began in June, with a scheduled release date of May 1, 2026.