Lady Gaga is unfazed by the negative reviews surrounding Joker: Folie à Deux.
The 38-year-old star, who played a version of Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, responded to criticism in a recent ELLE interview, saying: "People just sometimes don’t like some things. It’s that simple."
The highly anticipated sequel to Joker (2019) premiered at the Venice Film Festival but faced a polarizing response upon release. With a 31% Rotten Tomatoes score, it was even nominated for 'Worst Movie' at the 2025 Razzies, with Gaga listed in the 'Worst Actress' category.
Still, she stands by the film’s bold choices:
"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."
A Bold Vision That Divided Audiences
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux transformed the gritty world of Joker into a musical courtroom drama. In a past Variety interview, Gaga praised Phillips' ambition:
"He took a very big swing with this whole concept and with the script, giving the sequel this audacity and complexity."
Despite high expectations, the film failed to match the success of its predecessor. While Joker earned 11 Oscar nominations and grossed over $1 billion, the sequel landed zero nominations and made just $207 million worldwide. Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav even called the film’s performance 'disappointing' in a November investor call.
Yet for Gaga, the setbacks are just part of the creative journey. With her new album Mayhem releasing March 7 and a role in Wednesday season 2, she’s already moved on to her next artistic chapter.
