Pop sensation Lady Gaga has revealed that she experienced psychosis five years ago.
The 38-year-old singer and actress opened up about her mental health struggles on The Interview podcast from The New York Times, sharing that she was disconnected from reality for a period of time.
However, she also spoke of a “special” moment that arose from this difficult time with her now-fiancé Michael Polanksy. The Poker Face singer shared: “Five years ago, I had psychosis. I was not deeply in touch with reality for a while. It took me out of life in a big way, and after a lot of years of hard work I got myself back”.
She went on to describe how meeting Michael was a turning point for her. “It was a hard time, and it was actually really special when I met my partner because when I met Michael, I was in a much better place, but I remember him saying to me, pretty early on, ‘ I know you could be a lot happier than you are'”.
Lady Gaga, who released her seventh studio album earlier this week, admitted that hearing these words was challenging. “It was really hard for me to hear him say that because I didn’t want him to think that of me. I wanted him to think I was like this happy, totally together person”.
She praised Michael’s character, stating: “From the moment that I met Michael, he had the most warm and kind disposition of maybe anyone that I had met in my whole life”. Despite her openness, the award-winning singer confessed that discussing her mental health is not easy for her.
She said: “It’s something that I have found increasingly harder to talk about. I hate feeling defined by it. It felt like something I felt ashamed of. But I don’t think that we should feel ashamed if we go through times like that. I mostly just wish to say, it can get better. It did for me, and I’m grateful for that”.
Lady Gaga and Michael first stepped out as a couple in 2019, and they announced their engagement in July 2024. Michael is credited with inspiring his future wife to return to the recording studio and create her latest critically acclaimed album, Mayhem.
The Oscar winner’s seventh studio album, Mayhem, recorded at Shangri-La Studios near her home in Malibu, has 14 tracks including Disease, Abracadabra and Bruno Mars collaboration Die With A Smile. Mayhem is promoted as being about “embracing the fractured pieces of oneself and discovering how they come together to form something unexpected and beautiful”.
Lady Gaga says making the album was like assembling a shattered mirror to make up the different elements of her artistic life. She said: “Even if you can’t put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something memorable and whole in its own way”. The record is produced by the New York-born singer alongside Andrew Watt – who produced the Rolling Stones ‘ 2023 return Hackney Diamonds – alongside the singer’s fiancé Michael.
Lady Gaga has won 14 Grammys during her career, and has had four number one albums and six number one singles in the UK, with hits including Telephone and Poker Face. Born Stefani Joanne Germanotta, the Bad Romance singer was given an Oscar nod for best actress for A Star Is Born, and won an original song Academy Award for the film’s track Shallow.
Gaga has also acted in American Horror Story and House Of Gucci. In 2021, she released two records including a remix version of 2020’s Chromatica called Dawn Of Chromatica, featuring collaborations with artists such as Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama, and Love For Sale, on which she collaborated with the late Tony Bennett.
*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org. uk
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