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Lady Gaga has opened up about a mental health crisis she experienced after filming the 2018 musical drama A Star Is Born.
The pop superstar, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, acted in the film as well as performing songs including the Oscar-winning “Shallow.”
The production came at a particularly busy and stressful time during her career, shortly after she performed the Super Bowl halftime show in February 2017.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gaga reveals that during the making of the film, she was taking lithium, a mood disorder medication used to reduce the frequency and severity of manic episodes.
After the film was completed, Gaga embarked on a belated tour in support of her 2016 album Joanne. One night, she experienced what the publication says she described as a “psychotic break.”
“There was one day that my sister said to me, ‘I don’t see my sister anymore,’” says Gaga. “And I canceled the tour. There was one day I went to the hospital for psychiatric care. I needed to take a break.”
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Lady Gaga said there was a time in 2018 where she ‘didn’t think I could get better’ (Getty)
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Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in ‘A Star is Born’ (Clay Enos/Warner Bros)
She continues: “I couldn’t do anything… I completely crashed. It was really scary. There was a time where I didn’t think I could get better… I feel really lucky to be alive. I know that might sound dramatic, but we know how this can go.”
In February 2018, when Gaga canceled the last ten dates of her Joanne world tour, she wrote on Twitter that she was suffering from “severe pain” that had left her unable to continue performing. At the time, it was reported that this pain was related to her fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain across the body.
“I’m so devastated I don’t know how to describe it,” Gaga wrote in 2018. “All I know is that if I don’t do this, I am not standing by the words or meaning of my music.”
In the new interview, Gaga goes on to say that she now considers herself “a healthy, whole person,” crediting her recovery in part to the support of her fiancé, Michael Polansky.
“Being in love with someone that cares about the real me made a very big difference,” she says.
She adds that the experience fed into the creation of her 2025 album Mayhem, which was recently nominated for seven Grammys.
“It was months and months and months of rediscovering everything that I’d lost,” she says. “And I honestly think that’s why it’s called Mayhem. Because what it took to get it back was crazy.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.