Lady Gaga has fully embraced her Mayhem era, taking time to reflect on her life and career so far. In an open and candid interview, Gaga discussed various aspects of her journey, including her career, personal life, and mental health struggles.
She revealed, “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.”
The Die With a Smile singer went on to share, “It was a hard time, and it was actually really special when I met my partner because when I met Michael [Polansky], 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.’”
Hearing that from her fiancé, Michael Polansky, was difficult for Gaga. She admitted, “I wanted him to think I was like this happy, totally together person,” adding that discussing her struggles openly has become “increasingly harder.”
Lady Gaga (Photo: Getty Images)The A Star Is Born actress also reflected on her diagnosis, stating, “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.”
To heal, Gaga explained that she had to find a way to integrate her personal self with her stage persona, which meant fully embracing “Lady Gaga’s boss energy.” She admitted that balancing her larger-than-life pop star persona with her everyday self was a challenge, requiring her to work at loving both.
“I’d like to think that I’m a kind person, but there’s a ferociousness and a hardness and an intensity that I have onstage as a performer,” she told the publication. “So I had to learn how to hold those two things and have them not be at war with each other.”
Gaga also acknowledged how her approach to life has evolved over time, saying, “I’ve learned to not pour gasoline on it. I used to like more chaos, just living life on the edge constantly. I’m now proud to be much more boring.”