Lady Gaga Reflects on “Unhinged” Criticism of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ One Year Later

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Wow, it’s been a year since Joker: Folie à Deux came out, and Lady Gaga is finally talking about the really harsh criticism she got for playing Harley Quinn. It’s interesting to hear her side of things after all this time, and I’m really curious to know what she has to say about the reaction.

The Academy Award-winning performer told Rolling Stone that the criticism she received felt extremely harsh and unexpectedly lingered, making it more upsetting than she anticipated.

You know, when the initial reaction to Joker came out, there was so much negativity, and honestly, I think I was in a bit of an artistic mood, feeling rebellious. I wasn’t completely unaffected by it, and it’s weird admitting this, but I actually started laughing. It all just felt so… completely over the top and unhinged, it was almost comical.

The movie has received largely negative reviews, scoring only 31% on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences. It was also recognized – negatively – at the Golden Raspberry Awards, winning for Worst Remake and Worst Screen Combo (featuring Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix). Lady Gaga later shared that the film’s difficult reception was particularly painful because she invested so much of herself into the project, saying, “When it takes a while for something to kind of dissipate, that can be a little bit more painful.”

Directed by Todd Phillips and co-written with Scott Silver, Joker: Folie à Deux is a 2024 musical drama that continues the story of Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Lady Gaga joins the cast as Harleen Quinzel in this sequel to the 2019 film Joker.

The film centers on Arthur, who is awaiting trial at Arkham State Hospital and develops a romance with a fellow patient named Lee. The movie also features performances by Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Harry Lawtey, and Leigh Gill.

The movie Joker was initially planned as a one-time film, but after doing very well in theaters, Warner Bros. decided to make a sequel. They gave the sequel more creative control and a bigger budget. Lady Gaga and Zazie Beetz signed on to the project in late 2022, and filming took place from December 2022 to April 2023 in New York City, Los Angeles, and Belleville, New Jersey.

The film debuted at the Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2024, and opened in the U.S. on October 4th. Although it featured a well-known cast and a large production budget, the movie didn’t perform well financially, earning $207.5 million globally on a budget of $190 to $200 million.

During the interview, Lady Gaga explained how much personal effort she dedicated to her performance. She admitted that because she was so invested, the negative feedback was particularly hard to deal with.

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2025-11-15 17:15