Lady Gaga admits to performing while sick with COVID during five different shows during her Chromatica tour
Lady Gaga revealed she performed a run of shows after testing positive for COVID-19.
During a Q&A screening of her HBO concert special, Gaga Chromatica Ball, the 38-year-old pop star recalled hitting the stage after contracting the coronavirus during the tail end of the pandemic.
'I did five shows with COVID. I shared it with everyone on my team,' she told Variety. 'And I said, 'I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable at work, and you don't have to perform and you don't have to work that day.'"
The House of Gucci star explained that she made the difficult choice because she just 'didn't want to let all the fans down.'
The Poker Face hitmaker also noted that she kept apologizing to everyone backstage amid her quick changes and worried about getting anyone else sick.
Lady Gaga revealed she performed a run of shows after contracting COVID-19; seen in 2018
'During all my quick changes, I kept going. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry"' she said.
As for how she rationalized the controversial decision, Gaga said: 'The way that I saw it also was that the fans were all putting themselves in harm's way every day coming to the shows.'
During the screening, the Grammy winner was also keen to stress that even though the world of showbusiness can feel very 'isolating,' she 'never' feels that way when she is with her fans.
She continued: 'This industry can feel very isolating sometimes, but I never feel alone when I'm with my fans!'
Meanwhile, the performer teased that she is working on her long-awaited seventh studio album and even though it is 'really different' to anything she has ever done before, admitted that it felt 'beautiful' to know that it will be enjoyed by her fans regardless.
She said: 'I have written so many songs and I have produced so many songs.
'There's something really beautiful about knowing that you will be loved no matter what you do.'
Gaga's comments about performing while sick with COVID sparked outrage on X (previously known as Twitter).
During a Q&A screening of her HBO concert special, Gaga Chromatica Ball, the 38-year-old pop star recalled contracting COVID-19 during the tail end of the pandemic, but performing anyway (pictured at Dodger Stadium in 2022 on The Chromatica Ball Tour)
'I did five shows with COVID. I shared it with everyone on my team,' she told Variety. 'And I said, 'I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable at work, and you don't have to perform and you don't have to work that day'" (seen in 2022)
'Ummm why on earth would you reveal that? You just giving yourself backlash because you’re putting the health and safety of not only yourself, but THOUSANDS of people at risk…' one X user wrote.
Another tweeted: 'This is not a flex. You put your team at risk including your fans too. There's no way you could have been hundred percent careful.'
Others called her a 'disgrace' and the decision 'disgusting' and 'irresponsible.'
The backlash comes after Gaga teased to ET that she was working on 'new music all the time' at the Gaga Chromatica Ball.
'I truly live and breathe it,' she gushed before addressing the possibility of whether she would collaborate with Beyoncé, 15 years after the release of their hit, Telephone.
Gaga's comments about performing while sick with the coronavirus sparked outrage on X (previously known as Twitter)
'Ummm why on earth would you reveal that? You just giving yourself backlash because you’re putting the health and safety of not only yourself, but THOUSANDS of people at risk…' one X user wrote
Others called her a 'disgrace' and the decision 'disgusting' and 'irresponsible'
The singer teased that 'whenever Beyoncé calls,' she would 'like to pick up the phone.'
Gaga's last solo release was Chromatica in 2020, followed by a collaborative album, Love for Sale, with the late Tony Bennett in 2021.
In March, fans began speculating that Gaga would be featured on Beyoncé's country-themed album Cowboy Carter, which was released in March.
While that didn't happen, the superstars previously teamed up for Video Phone in 2009 and then again for Telephone in 2010.
