Lady Gaga Responds to Joker 2 Backlash: 'Some Things Just Aren't Liked'

Pop music icon and acclaimed actor Lady Gaga has recently shared her thoughts on the mixed reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. The multi-talented artist, who took on the role of a more grounded version of the DC comics villain Harley Quinn, had remained relatively silent about the movie since its release. Alongside her performance, Gaga released a companion album titled Harlequin. In a candid interview with Elle, she opened up about how she copes with negative feedback, emphasizing the importance of managing expectations.

"People just sometimes don’t like some things," Gaga remarked. "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’ blockbuster 2019 film, hit theaters last October but failed to impress critics and audiences, earning a disappointing 31% on Rotten Tomatoes across both critic and audience scores. Our own review gave it a 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 movie's theatrical run was so lackluster that it quickly transitioned to a digital release, prompting Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to label its performance as "disappointing."

Gaga acknowledged the emotional toll that such criticism can take, 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 setback with Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga is not slowing down. She recently announced that her new studio album, Mayhem, will be released this March, ending a five-year hiatus since her last album, Chromatica.

For further insights into Joker: Folie à Deux, explore why Quentin Tarantino says he loved the sequel and why Hideo Kojima believes the movie’s reception will change over time. You can also review our compilation of the biggest disappointments of 2024 here.