Did Lady Gaga break the ‘woman code’ by performing with Bradley Cooper?

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No offense, but I think one of the dumbest things to come out of A Star Is Born’s Oscar campaign is that now people – most of them younger peeps – are shipping Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in real life. First of all, they barely had ANY chemistry in the movie. The first part of their promotional tour was hampered by rumors that they were barely speaking to each other. They did a good job of keeping up appearances – like total pros – once the campaign got underway. At this point, I think they like and respect each other. I think Bradley is very happy and proud of Gaga for winning Best Song. They obviously put in a lot of work to make their live performance amazing on-stage at the Oscars – clearly, because they had more chemistry on stage than they did in the entire film. None of that amounts to “Gaga and B-Coop are secretly together and Irina Shayk is gonna shank an orange trollop.” So, I’ve established that I do not believe they’re together in any way. But was their loved-up performance bad form? According to Mel B, it was:

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper‘s performance of A Star Is Born‘s signature tune “Shallow” at Sunday’s Oscars may have delighted fans watching at home, but the electrifying chemistry between the two stars left Mel B unsettled. The Spice Girls singer, 43, criticized Gaga and Cooper during Good Morning Britain‘s Academy Awards telecast, explaining that she couldn’t help but think about Cooper’s girlfriend, Irina Shayk, the whole time.

Shayk, 33 — mother to Cooper’s 1½-year-old daughter Lea De Seine — was sitting in the front row of the Dolby Theatre, steps away from where Cooper, 44, and Gaga, 32, sang their show-stealing duet. The two costars and on-screen lovers shared a piano bench at the number’s conclusion, singing a stripped-down take on the track cheek-to-cheek before affectionately gazing into each other’s eyes, with Cooper wrapping his arm around Gaga’s waist.

“I felt so uncomfortable for Bradley’s girlfriend, oh my gosh,” Mel B recalled of the moment, according to video captured by The Sun. Agreeing that the duo had “the look of love,” Mel B hoped that the energy between Cooper and Gaga — who recently split from fiancé Christian Carino, her rep confirmed to PEOPLE exclusively on Tuesday — was just for show.

“I would like to think it was part of the whole performance, because there’s a women’s code and hopefully that’s not… hopefully it’s only professional,” she said.

[From People]

Yeah, trust that it is completely professional. Trust that they were truly only doing that for the cameras and for the Oscar campaign and all of that. As I said on Sunday night, I thought their performance was beautiful and beautifully staged in that one long take with no cutaways. I would think that Irina is a confident and intelligent enough woman to understand that her actor-director boyfriend was doing it for the Oscars, not because he was secretly in love with Gaga or whatever.

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183 Responses to “Did Lady Gaga break the ‘woman code’ by performing with Bradley Cooper?”

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  1. Becks1 says:

    I don’t think any “code” was broken but I might have felt a little awkward if I was Irina, even if you know its just a performance.

    But more than that – the post-performance gossip about how they are secretly in love is really annoying to me. No, they’re not. (well I guess they could be, but I doubt it.)

    • Alissa says:

      I don’t think a code was broken. I do think that they were laying it on WAYYYY too thick, and I was uncomfortable watching it haha. I definitely don’t think they’re secretly in love, because I find it hard to believe they’d be that open about it in front of everyone, including the mother of his child sitting in the audience. But I would have felt awkward if I was her.

      Although most of the rumors are that Irina’s a beard, so who knows. This “pretend we’re really in love” thing seems like an odd strategy.

      • Lexilla says:

        Good point Alissa — because it was so obvious, it was obviously fake. Kaiser nails it, as usual. And Duana at LaineyGossip, who called Gaga/BCoop’s whole schtick “normcore romance novel cosplay.” Ha!

    • Clare says:

      I thought the whole thing was dumb and extra – seriously Gaga is hugely talented but her persona is too performative for my liking – but Mel B needs to take several seats with this nonsense.

    • velourazure says:

      Should Mel B really be handing out relationship opinions or advice? She’s messy AF.

    • 90sgrirl says:

      The performance was beautiful. Wow.
      So talented.
      Lady Gaga and Bradley was wonderful.
      I hope they get a Emmy nomination for the performance,

    • Mama says:

      She shouldn’t date an actor then… what is she going to do if he has a love seen or has to kiss another woman? It is acting and they acted on stage. End of story.

  2. grabbyhands says:

    I haven’t been able stand all the extra-ness coming out of Gaga and Cooper all awards season and even I think this is a bit much.

    That performance didn’t break any girl code. It was a for the song and that was pretty much it. If Irina Shayk is for real worried about what she saw I predict she and BCoop aren’t going to be together for long.

    • Eliza says:

      By that logic any time irina models in a bikini she’s breaking girl code bc the Male model might be married. It’s a performance. Over the top – but when isn’t Gaga?

  3. CatWomen says:

    They made a spectacule of themselves. When David Spade tweets “Are these two not f****** ‘ it’s clear.

    • Monicack says:

      It’s clear? Because of a bro’s gross tweet? Stop it.

    • enike says:

      I think Gaga fell in love with Bradley Cooper
      Bradley doesnt, he was just ambitious to succeed with his first directorial debut, so he did everything for it
      Bradley then started to take Irina with him everywhere to stop Gaga and people to think there is something
      I think Cooper lead Gaga on, to get her to perform in his movie even better

      heartache for Gaga…3 2 1

      the off screan love story is a fan excitement, but my take is, Gaga fell in love with him, and its onesided, which she will got after the whole Oscar campaign is over

      PS. no girl´s code was broken, Irina couldnt care less, Mel B. is projecting

      Edit: their duet at the Oscars was cringeworthy really

    • Villanelle says:

      I’m not sure ‘When David Spade says…’ is every the start of a home truth.

    • Mama says:

      By acting? Like they are actors? Lol.

      • SilentStar says:

        Yes, they are actors, and I thought it was obvious that they were representing the song as their characters in the movie to some extent. Given the context and content of the song, performing it like star-crossed lovers is kind of expected.

  4. Sara says:

    What woman code? No one gave me one when I got my period? I hope it includes the proper way to use punctuation in a work email and a guide to good breakup behaviour….(is it permissible in the woman code to yell at your friend’s douchey ex?)

  5. Jemimaleopard says:

    Lol did anyone see Jennifer Esposito’s comment on IG?? 🙈🙈

    • Birdie says:

      What did she say?

      • Raina says:

        Jennifer simply wrote “ha” in response to Spade. It could mean one of 2 things; either Cooper is gay and fat chance he’s sweating a female or maybe they are having an affair because she thinks he’s a snake and jerk.
        Rumours everywhere on the first part but it’s not for me to say nor do I particularly care. That’s all their business.
        What I DO think, however, is they’re trying toooo hard to act like they’re having an affair to actually have one. It’s just a great performance by 2 talented people who desperately want this movie to succeed in the thirstiest way

    • LORENA says:

      yup and I am not sure what she meant by it, it can be interpreted in many ways

      • Ju says:

        ‘Interpreted in many different ways?? How?
        She said ‘Ha’. That’s it. She was obviously laughing at the Gaga affair rumours because she’s still bitter about the divorce, which is kinda sad.

        Also, did anyone see her tweet saying that she doesent know what the big deal about her saying ‘ha’ is? Lol is she really trying to play it that way…Tragic

      • Renee2 says:

        Please share!!!

      • LORENA says:

        Well wasn’t she the one that insinuated he was gay? (I may be wrong about that) I thought it was “HA” like it was funny to suggest him and gaga having an affair but I was prob reading way too into it lol

      • April Hurley says:

        @LORENA:

        Yeah, you nailed it, that’s what Esposito meant!
        Also, the only reason Irina would worry about is if BCoop had a duet with Victor Garber…

      • Angelique Anderson says:

        Victor Garber can do alot better than BCoop

      • Erinn says:

        I mean, I think it could be as simple as her thinking it was funny. But I agree with Lorena it’s too vague to know the intention 100%. It could be multiple things.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        As far as I remember, Jennifer Esposito said he was cold and manipulative. Not that he was gay.

      • April Hurley says:

        @paranormalgirl:

        Yeah, she said that, and also said there were “red flags” all around since the beginning of their relationship. And, supposedly, there’s an interview to a paper/magazine in which Victor Garber casually slips that he and BCoop were living together (during the 1st season of Alias, I think). But I couldn’t find that interview…

      • paranormalgirl says:

        Red flags… does not mean gay. And I lived with a lesbian during med school. Doesn’t make me one.

      • xdanix says:

        Did anyone else think it was kind of really bitchy for the ex to leave that inscrutable little comment, and then play dumb about said comment? She absolutely knew it would be picked up and carried everywhere, and yeah, I know she obviously had her own experience with him and they didn’t end well (couldn’t have, if their marriage ended that fast!), but, like, something about that just rubs the wrong way. She hasn’t had anything to do with him in about 14 years and was only married to him for four MONTHS! The relationship he’s in now, which is being speculated about so heavily and the stories about which she just poured fuel on, is coming up to four YEARS. I just really think it wasn’t her place.

        Oh, and re the Victor Garber stories: I have NO idea what the truth of Bradley Cooper’s sexuality is, but I’m pretty sure any rumours about Garber are all totally nonsense, because the entire time BC was supposedly with him, Garber was actually in a committed relationship with his now-husband. He just hadn’t come out yet so the then-boyfriend wasn’t public knowledge. Cooper is very friendly with them both.

      • Kebbie says:

        I’m with paranormalgirl.

        IIRC, Jennifer made him sound more abusive than gay. He was still drinking at the time I think and rumors were that he may have been emotionally abusive or even violent, not that he was gay. Then she wrote her book and seemingly confirmed at the very least that he was manipulative and cold. She never said outright that he was abusive though.

  6. Ariel says:

    I’m not sure Mel B should be giving any relationship rules/hot takes.
    Not her area of expertise.

    • aenflex says:

      Yeah. Exactly.

    • BlueSky says:

      Yeah a lot of projecting going on there with Mel B.

    • Swack says:

      I was going to say to look at the source. Mel B needs to work on herself and let the others alone. That being said, glad I was brought up with all brothers and boys in the neighborhood. I basically missed out on all the drama between women and must of missed the whole “woman” code thing. Thought it was a human code thing to respect another person and any relationship they were in.

    • lucy2 says:

      Exactly. Glass houses, stones, etc.

      I thought it was uncomfortable because it was cheesy and just so extra, like they’ve both been the whole time, not because I think they’re secretly in love.

  7. Mia4s says:

    “most of them younger peeps – are shipping Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in real life”

    Maybe most of them are younger, but I saw far too many verified users and Film Twitter people unironically jumping on this. I mean, obnoxious much? Yes let’s all hope and pray for the break up of a small child’s parents to fulfill our fan fiction! Gross.

  8. Birdie says:

    Her botox job looks really obvious and bad. Her makeup was awful.
    Anyway, they just put on a show. What is the big deal?

    • Kitten says:

      Exactly. It’s a performance FFS. They get paid to pretend and they’re both pretty good at it.

      I cannot stand Gaga but she is undoubtedly a very talented woman. I didn’t watch the Oscars but I DID watch their performance and it was really fantastic IMO. There are so many pop singers out there who just rely on auto-tune, a well-known producer and a “look” to sell records but Gaga can actually sing. She definitely has a gift.

      • B n A fan says:

        Totally agree with you except I like Gaga. I loved the performance, watched it about three times, and enjoyed it each time. I’m a brangelina fan and missed them at the Oscars. They were, IMO, the best thing at Oscar in their day.

      • TurkeyLurkey says:

        She is very talented but she did use a “look” to sell records like a meat dress, showing up in an egg, that thing where she dressed as a man, etc. I don’t know why she did that she has the talent to not have to resort to those things, but all the pop singer’s do that in some way to be noticed or stand out.

        I couldn’t figure out while they were still being so extra at the oscars, but then I realized that the blue-ray/dvd was just released so they were selling DVDs with that performance. Just my opinion because I am that cynical.

      • Raina says:

        Agree. And music is so freaking powerful. Sometimes you can just sing an amazing song with someone and be so enraptured, so moved, that, for the moment, you love them. You glow.

      • Alexandria says:

        @turkeylurkey I think she did precisely those things to stand out. I’ve said before she is not a typical beauty and being in pop music that is hard. She was a small time singer and used her real name but nothing came out of it. I kind of miss the old Lady Gaga. But happy for her. I don’t miss that meat dress though haha.

      • Kitten says:

        @Raina-Exactly. You could see that they were both really concentrating on hitting every note. They had their eyes closed and were very much in the moment, feeling the music. It’s a really pretty song (and I typically hate ballads) but the performance took it to a new level.

        @Turkeylurkey-True, but I would say that the difference is that Gaga isn’t merely a look. She can play piano, she sounds lovely acapella.

        You also have to remember that Gaga’s roots are the NYC club scene. Before she got a record deal she was hanging out with performers, artists, queens, ravers etc–unconventional people with flair for the dramatic/provocative. Her look isn’t as unique or unnatural when you put it in that context. I suspect that even before she became famous she was used to wearing fairly outrageous things when she was out clubbing.

        @B n A Fan-re: Brange. It’s truly the end of an era 🙁

      • Mgsota says:

        I think all this hoopla is ridiculous. It was a performance. I would say they were in character. People are bored.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I totally agree, Kitten. It was a performance. I don’t get why people are confused about this.

  9. LORENA says:

    Disagree about them no having chemistry in the movie, I just watched it this movie I thought they had tons of chemistry. yes they are actors and this was a performance but they sure laid it on thick IMO

    • LahdidahBaby says:

      I agree they had sizzling chem in the movie.

    • Elisa says:

      +1, they had major chemistry in the movie and I especially liked his performance / singing.

    • Seán says:

      I agree. I think they had really believable chemistry. I totally bought them as couple who loved each other. I just don’t get Kaiser’s takes / opinions on movies sometimes. I think they both really admire each other in real life but I don’t think there’s any romance going on.

  10. xdanix says:

    Mel B is talking nonsense. First of all, there is video of their standing ovation shot from inside the room by a Hollywood Reporter journalist and he said Irina was the first on her feet to lead it. There’s also video of her greeting them both afterwards, hugging Bradley and seeming really delighted for them both. I don’t think she was NEARLY as bothered as Mel B or the internet seems to want her to be!

    Second, that performance was very carefully choreographed and directed by Bradley Cooper. It was his idea to film it like another scene in the movie, stage it the way they did, etc. He said they wanted to give the fans of the movie what they wanted, and they did exactly that. It was absolutely beautiful, a real standout on an evening that didn’t boast that many great moments, and performed beautifully by the two of them. Lady Gaga wasn’t “betraying” anyone by simply doing her job!

    (There’s also pictures of a lovely hug between Irina and Gaga and she looked really thrilled for her when she won, so I don’t actually think there’s any animosity between the women at all, much as the Daily Mail and half the internet seem to be willing it to happen!)

    • Kitten says:

      Yes yes yes. Everything you said, especially the second paragraph. Cooper did a great job directing the performance. It was beautiful. People are flipping out precisely because they are so convincing.

      • Erinn says:

        It’s a stunning performance – and that’s all I thought of it as. I mean, I know it’s fun to gossip and everything, but I just got the vibe that they were in character and were really trying to sell it one last time. It WAS convincing, but it should be – they spent a ton of time filming together as those characters. If it wasn’t convincing I think that’d be a bigger problem, honestly.

        And I’m sure his partner is more annoyed by the gossip than the performance. She’s with someone working in the industry – he’s going to have female romantic leads. It’s just his job.

  11. WingKingdom says:

    My only quibble is that at this point, the Oscar campaign was over. The votes were in. No, I don’t think Bcoop and Gaga are up to anything romantic, but I don’t quite get the purpose of that element of the performance.

    Wait, yes I do. Attention. Never mind!

    • KLO says:

      They just wanted to put on an iconic performance at the Oscars. I think that`s what they were trying to do? hehe

    • deezee says:

      The purpose? The DVD of the movie was going to be for sale two days later. It’s a way to drum up interest before the release.

      • KLO says:

        Performances like this are going to be replayed on different TV specials for decades to come. That`s reason enough to try and make it memorable.

    • Deedee says:

      If I’m Bradley’s girlfriend, I’m like, “Bring it! Sell that DVD! Get another great movie out there.” It’s silly and cheapens women’s performances if they can only be great when there is “something else” there. Why does every good romance on screen have to equal a great romance behind the scenes? Acting, folks. It’s their job.

  12. Sayrah says:

    I think she’s a good actress and has a flair for the dramatic. Weren’t we talking about her over the top reactions in pics after winning yesterday? I mean they could be but I would imagine if they were their performance would have looked really different.

  13. Lala11_7 says:

    They did EXACTLY what they were supposed to do…and it worked…and I enjoyed the HECK out of that performance…I’m an 80s Baby…and I LIVE for POWER BALLADS…and I haven’t heard a GOOD ONE…IN YEARS and that performance on Sunday have me re-watching it over and over again like 15 and I’m hitting rewind on my VCR after taping “Faithfully” on MTV

    I just wish that a time machine could be made that would give me 80s Steve Perry singing that song with Gaga…but I would need them to switch parts….

    LAWD!!!!

  14. mia girl says:

    Clearly they are fond of each other and put on a really great performance. They are performers afterall.

    And I didn’t see love and sexiness, if anything I saw a totally committed Gaga- keeping eye contact and her energy towards Cooper, committed to supporting him through the song because he must have been super nervous to sing live in a room of his acting peers.

    • Lizzie says:

      i agree. he sounded nervous and he looked nervous until he sat down with her. i think part of it was acting to give the people what they were waiting for and part of it was coaching him through his performance.

  15. RoyalBlue says:

    I thought the live performance crossed the line and was disrespectful. It could have been just as effective without displaying such intimacy. I felt bad for Irina, but if she is fine with it, good for her.

    • Bryn says:

      Irina was the first to stand and applaud and hugged lady Gaga after, her partner is an actor and put on a performance. I don’t see the problem.

    • KLO says:

      yEAH, nobody held a gun to Bradley`s head so he would put his arm around Gaga or brush her cheek with his. It was all Bradley and it was all a theatre act. Much ado about nothing.

    • paranormalgirl says:

      So was it disrespectful to roll around in a bathtub during the actual filming of the movie? Should there never be love scenes between people who have significant others in films?Because that was a performance, just like the song was at the Oscars.

      • Mama says:

        Thank you!!! Exactly….. I think people are projecting their own insecurities about how they would react onto this whole situation.

    • clairej says:

      Really??! A bit dramatic. Oscar night nominated songs are always performed. They did a great job.

  16. MCV says:

    Imagine cheating on Irina Shayk with Lady Gaga…

    • Weaver says:

      Beautiful women get cheated on in favor of less attractive women every day.

    • paranormalgirl says:

      Like they say, no matter how beautiful someone is, there’s probably someone out there sick of his/her shit.

    • Lala11_7 says:

      @MCV…what I’m trying to imagine…in this day and age…when we have ALL seen and commented on EVERYBODY getting cheated on…from Beyonce or any other physically gifted woman or man on the planet…that you would actually use your fingers to type what you typed…

      That’s what I’m trying to imagine…

    • Spicecake38 says:

      When I was young Charles was cheating on Diana with Camilla.Diana was at that time the most desirable,most photographed woman on the planet,and the mother of his children. I learned that even beautiful princesses get cheated on,it really has nothing to do with looks,if he/she is going to cheat he/she will do just that.

  17. KLO says:

    This whole things make me snicker because I found the emotional tone of their performance very very plastic. They sang very nicely and looked good and it was a nice performance. but there was no actual chemistry, sincerity or emotional weight there, at least not to me.

  18. Desolee says:

    Maybe if his wife didn’t look out of this world gorgeous it would be awkward. But look at her

  19. Michael says:

    It’s showbiz you dummy. And somehow I’ll bet Mel has broken “woman’s code” somewhere along the way

  20. Mrs. Peel says:

    So Mel B thinks she’s Dr. Phil now?

  21. LondonLook says:

    I don’t think anyone was fooled by Gaga’s posturing, it was embarrassing!

    • Div says:

      Again, I absolutely do not think anything was going on and it was just them selling their song to the crowd as they are talented performers who seem tight friends. But why are you putting this all on Gaga and calling her embarrassing and not him? Both of them are cheesy and extra, and I don’t mean that in a mean way but it’s true, except she just gives cheesy speeches while he never gives them because he never wins the big awards despite being nominated a million times.

      Because as someone below said, no one held a gun to Cooper’s head and forced him to design this performance, or wrap his arm around her when she is playing the piano (and no pianist would want someone to do that while they are playing, so that was clearly his idea), or scoot so closely to her on the piano, nor hold her hand instead of linking arms. No one forced him to be just as extra as Gaga in the interviews while they were promoting this movie and talk about how he was in love with her eyes in that cringe NYT interview.

  22. Jen says:

    They’re all annoying and I’m glad the movie didn’t win much.

  23. paranormalgirl says:

    Mel B is one to talk…. how about the married cop she banged while still married?

  24. otaku fairy... says:

    I….actually think it’s kind of mean- or at least a little thoughtless- of Mel B to frame it this way and make this implication based on their performance together. We all know how the rumor mill operates and how every little thing these women (and girls) do in relation to men is oversexualized by others for maximum drama. No, I don’t think Lady Gaga broke any sort of girl code by just doing her job. When you marry or date someone who’s in movies, TV shows, music videos, etc. seeing them perform this way with others sort of comes with the territory. Most likely these two aren’t anything more than friends who worked together.

    • Div says:

      Yeah, Mel B and his ex kind of boomeranged the tabs from simply remarking on chemistry and low key implying stuff, which isn’t atypical and it probably would have blown over quickly, and gave them a green light to go ahead like a dog with a steak.

      And I’m really grossed out by some of the misogyny directed at both Gaga and Irina. Comments about Gaga’s looks, comments about how Irina must be “cold” because she’s Russian—just a lot of gross sexism.

  25. Adrien says:

    No gay person would ever think these two are fu**ing.

  26. Zut alors says:

    I found the performance exaggerated and contrived. I must have missed the much vaunted “chemistry” everyone is harping on.

  27. Audrey says:

    He is gay and they are ACTORS! Their job is to make us believe something that isn’t real. This rumor was just to drum up publicity and probably sell more records…

    • paranormalgirl says:

      Can we STOP “outing” people based on our own personal opinions?

      • Audrey says:

        This is a gossip blog.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        Yeah, I know. Been here for quite some time. But regardless, it’s not cool to state someone is gay when you know nothing of the sort. Speculating on someone’s sexuality is bullshit. But hey, if it makes you feel better…

      • Kitten says:

        He has a child with a woman. At least out of very basic respect to his kid, stop calling him gay when he has never identified as such.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        Thank you Kitten. There’s not a damned thing wrong with being gay, but it’s not up to anyone other than the person to make that announcement and only if they wish to make that announcement.

      • Kitten says:

        Absolutely agree, paranormalgirl. We’re not somehow entitled to his sexuality just because he’s famous.

      • otaku fairy... says:

        Oh no no no no, he cannot be gay or even possibly bisexual. Because he seriously dated AND had a child with a woman, you see. So even if later on he does share that he’s had relationships/situationships with men (if he even has), if he tries to identify as bisexual or anything else, it can only mean that he’s lying for attention! 😉
        I agree with Paranormalgirl though, especially since it is a gossip site- another great place to observe cultural norms.

      • Veronica S. says:

        I’ll be honest – as an LGBT+ woman, I do find it somewhat frustrating that being gay/bi/etc. gets used as a “gotcha!” Let’s not pretend that there aren’t very good reasons why people keep that stuff under wraps even in contemporary society, particularly in this climate. It’s a careful line in how we speculate about that sort of thing.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I totally agree, paranormalgirl. Throwing it around when a person hasn’t claimed it for themselves makes it come across as an attack.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        Plus it feels like it’s weaponizing homosexuality. Like it’s some sort of an insult.

    • Audrey says:

      There is nothing wrong with being gay. This faux-mance is silly.

      • Kitten says:

        No but there IS something wrong with people acting like he has no right to keep his sexuality private. Whether he’s gay or not is nobody’s business. He has a right to define himself as he wishes and thus far, he has made no mention of his sexual orientation. People need to respect that.

      • Audrey says:

        Kitten – BC is into men and nobody’s getting Subway at 2am in Chicago. 😉

  28. Darla says:

    This is so stupid. She was doing her job. It was completely orchestrated. She has a great voice btw. She is so extra and annoys me, but she is certainly talented.

  29. Latoya says:

    I adore Lady Gaga. Mel B can do one.

    I think it’s obvious the rumours they didn’t get on are ridicous and obviously put out by low grade gossip mags. You can see the footage of them on set where they look like best mates. I think they are very fond of each other and their chemistry was amazing on and off screen but I don’t think they did anything g wrong. They know the song is beloved (big ratings boost this year and it wasn’t for Olivia Coleman) they wanted to put on a show. Which is the only code Gaga follows. Cooper even directed the performance.

    I personally don’t think Bradley and irina are going to last. The baby elongated that fling but you can tell he’s not that into her if you watch the red carpet footage instead of still photos. He was much more attentive to his mom.

  30. Div says:

    They are two hammy and talented performers who seem to sincerely adore each other and know how to sell the shit out of a song and entertain the crowd. Do they think every time a singer does a mournful tune and half cries and tries to get the crowd to cry, that they are truly depressed? And now people are trying to sell Gaga thanking him as a “true friend” like it is some sort of lovey dovey thing instead of not as extra as usual, fairly normal comment from Gaga.

    I doubt they are f*cking, and not just because of the rumors that neither Gaga nor Irina are Bradley’s type if you catch my drift. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong in six months, but I doubt it.

    Also, I know she calls out Bradley but ultimately lays it more on Gaga with the girl code thing and I’m like, wut? Even if something was going on, and I doubt there is, he’s the one in a relationship, the one who planned the performance that way, the one who sat down close on the piano and scooted even closer, and wrapped his arm around her (which may have been distracting as she was playing the piano). Gaga basically just shot him a look, in return. Platonic or not platonic, and I strongly lean towards the former, the performance was his conception so Gaga ain’t the one breaking any code (not that any code was broken in the first place).

  31. K says:

    I watched the clip and didn’t think anything of the two. They were signing and acting. I don’t see any romance, over stepping boundaries. I am sure Irina is fine. Though I think lady gaga and Bradley cooper look more like a couple, with their face shape and have the same general look. Irina is too good looking for Bradley Cooper.

  32. Monicack says:

    OK. Anyone who is on board with the thinking that a woman is responsible for the autonomy of others does not sincerely feel badly for Irina. They are propping up the misogynistic bullshit that tries to make someone like Irina feel bad in the first place.

  33. Anare says:

    I remember a long time ago Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb sang together and they were so romantic. Barry showed up at a concert Barbra was doing and they made everyone swoon. You can find it on YouTube https://youtu.be/3vi2RSWKfRQ. Watch just for the pleasure of hearing two beautiful voices together.

  34. Mia says:

    Mel B, the one who can’t sing or act okay

  35. D says:

    “I would like to think it was part of the whole performance, because there’s a women’s code and hopefully that’s not…”

    Tragic – her first thought is “this shouldn’t be happening because of a woman’s code”, not “the boyfriend code”, not the “faithfulness code”. No indication that a man in a committed relationship has any duty to know what is and isn’t okay with his partner when it comes to his behavior with other women – how bizarre to act as though this duty should primarily fall on Gaga in this situation.

    I wonder if people who say stuff like this realize they’re telling on themselves and revealing just how little respect & care they expect to receive from men?

  36. TheHeat says:

    What’s gross about this is how thirsty for Oscar is made them both seem. It felt try-hard to me, not hot, not full of chemistry, just try-hard.

    The thing that DOES break the woman-code for Gaga was the fact that she dressed up as Donald Trump for the awards.

    • KEEKS says:

      same spray tanned mess. Agreed, they are both thirsty and the movie was not an Oscar movie, Oscar acting. The song is nice. But it’s overplayed and covered 30 million + times, I’m over it

  37. Gabrielle says:

    I think this was just a performance but if it wasn’t, Bradley was the one who put his arm around Gaga and Bradley is the one who is married. Why is everything blamed on the woman?!

  38. BuddyJack says:

    Uggggh. It’s not just young people pushing the narrative. I have a friend in her 40s that is totally obsessed with the movie, the songs, Gaga, them, etc. I want to pull a Cher from Moonstruck, strike her across the face, and tell her to snap out of it.

    Quit trying to make Gaga and Cooper happen, people!

    Hey , they are Oscar nominated actors. They were performing, acting, They made it believable.

  39. Case says:

    Another way of pitting women against each other. Irina seemed genuinely happy for Gaga when she won Best Original Song, and allegedly was the first on her feet after their performance.

    Yes, they have good chemistry. But it’s a performance. Because they’re performers. I’m sure Irina understands this. Not sure why so many others don’t. If they were actually a secret item, they’d be trying to distance themselves in public, not lay it on even thicker.

  40. Anastasia says:

    Geez. They were acting.

  41. Veronica S. says:

    It’s a performance? It’s not like we saw the same energy on the red carpet, i.e. Brangelina’s OBVIOUS AFFAIR AWKWARDNESS in the wake of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Irina is an adult woman with an adult perception of what’s going on in her marriage. It’s so insulting to imply she’s a bystander being taken for a ride.

  42. Mirage says:

    Am I the only one to see this?
    Lady Gaga is into him. That’s why she dumped her boyfriend!
    But Bradley Cooper is not. He clearly has a strong bond with his girlfriend and indeed, Irina Shayk didn’t seem the least bothered by the performance.

    • Div says:

      Gaga’s ex was pushing 50 and she is only 32. I suspect that was the cause, and the timing was just unfortunate.

      IMO she and Mark Ronson might actually be a thing, they seem sincerely close and not in a two friends putting on a show way with BCoop. Plus, apparently they were going to all the parties together.

  43. Abby says:

    You know, it’s days later and we’re still talking about this performance. I don’t think it was anything but planned to be this way. They’re acting, IMO. The date of the DVD release seems perfect.

  44. Barbara says:

    Why should a beard be threatened?

  45. Mel says:

    I think this has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve heard in a long time. People need to grow up.

  46. Claire says:

    Completely agree that this is acting and it’s a beautiful song. Irina is supporting it. Some are envisioning this is like the scene in Walk the Line where June Carter and Johnny Cash are performing and his wife in the audience is LIVID.

  47. Arpeggi says:

    They are performers and they did exactly that: it’s their job to pretend. Also, are men and women not allowed to be friends? What is that BS and since when is Mel B a reference for relationship/friendship advices? She’s famous for being in a band of fake friends that were brought together by a dude.

    Lots of my close friends are heterosexual guys in relationships; we hug and are affectionate towards one another and I’ll spend time with them without their gf around and it’s perfectly normal because friends hang out together and are allowed to act like humans. I’m going to a conference with my wonderful male colleague in a couple of months; we’ll be sharing an airbnb for a week while his gf will be home with their kids and there’s absolutely no jealousy (aside that she can’t wait for mat leave to be over and get back to work) or doubts about our relationship: we’re colleagues that get along together.

    The heck with that “woman code”! This is just as toxic as Pence refusing to be meet with a woman without his wife being around

  48. Melanie says:

    I don’t think anything happened with Gaga and Bradley and I don’t think anything is going to happen with them. My issue is that he isn’t really denying the rumors. They both seem to want to purposely leave them out there. Even before the Oscars performance, he never bothered to say anything. He could have issued a denial months ago. And, I think each time he has been falsely linked with a co-star, he has denied it publicly. Even if Irina and Bradley know nothing happened, why leave the rumors out there? It’s still making Irina look bad. It’s hard to believe she doesn’t care about that.

    • xdanix says:

      But why would he deny it, when all that would achieve would be calling more attention to the story? It’d fan the flames, not kill them- you can bet if he DID you’d see people lining up to say “oh, you only deny when you’ve got something to hide”. Sure, the internet is rife with rumours right now, but equally, the internet is perfectly aware that Cooper is in a committed relationship with a different woman, and he hasn’t actually done anything to suggest he’s betrayed that.

      He rarely ever comments on his personal life anyway- I may be wrong about this, but I THINK the only time I can remember him denying a rumour linking him to a co-star was JLaw? Which started when either they were both single, or he was single and she was quietly dating Nicholas Hoult, I can’t remember which. But of course, he stupidly said he was too old for her so it would never happen (when he really should have just left it as his original try at denying it, which was “she’s like a sister to me”) and then went on to date Suki Waterhouse, which gave fans/the media endless hope it might happen after all, especially as they went on to work together several more times, so he had to keep denying it. Maybe if he was lined up to work with Gaga again I’d think he should say something, but right now I can see why he hasn’t.

      • Melanie says:

        I remember him denying that he dated Melanie Laurent(not a co-star but a friend) Olivia Wilde and Scarlett Johannson.

      • xdanix says:

        Ooh Melanie, your memory is much better than mine, I hadn’t remembered any of those! But thinking about it now… wouldn’t all of those denials quite a few years back now? I’ve noticed him get more and more private and more reluctant to talk personal life details in recent years.

        But even if he hadn’t, I still completely get why he hasn’t addressed anything, for the reasons I said above. I just don’t think it would have done any of them any good.

  49. Lucy says:

    Yeah, no, it was just a very good performance featuring two very talented people. Say what you will about them (I don’t even like BCoop that much), but that’s what they are.

  50. Svea says:

    Ugh I can’t with this. Dude was terrified. The only way he got through it was her keeping him close. (Forget them, sing to me.) You see this all the time with young performers on vocal competition shows. The producers surround them with musicians to hold the them down energetically.

    • xdanix says:

      EXACTLY. People backstage saw her coaching him through the nerves, telling him to forget the crowds, to only concentrate on her. There’s even a picture of her gesturing to only focus on her! He’s been open about being terrified about singing live and has credited her help with getting him through the live scenes for ASIB, the other night she simply did the same thing and got him through it one last time.

      • Kitten says:

        All of that makes perfect sense to me. He did seem REALLY nervous and honestly, who could blame him? He’s not a trained singer; this isn’t his forte.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      That was my take exactly. And it was part of what made the performance so powerful, IMO.

      It’s kind of sweet that it played out that way. In the film, the song’s soaring notes fit with Ally taking a great leap into the unknown. At the Oscars, the soaring notes fit with Bradley taking a great risk in front of his judgy peers. Gaga was essentially holding his had with her eyes during his part.

  51. Issac says:

    This has to be the dumbest thing I’ve hear.

  52. Jb says:

    Hahaha Mel B giving couple advice!!! OMG girl needs to stop being so messy before commenting on non issues for other couples. This is rich y’all

  53. Oliviajoy1995 says:

    Really Mel B? She needs to worry about her hot mess of a life and get herself together before she worries about two people in a movie performing a song together at the Academy Awards. It’s like she was just looking for a reason to get her name mentioned somewhere.

    • me says:

      yeah…Gaga and Bradley were actors and were…acting.

      In fact, I felt GaGa was overacting as usual. Nothing to see there.

  54. Karine says:

    It was part of the performance…It shows Mel B never did or watch much theatre, but i’ve had love scenes with actors with whom I had great chemistry right in front of my boyfriend who watched the show. And no one broke any “code”. When you work closely on a movie or a play, you develop a closeness that is hard to describe (if you’re lucky, that is). It’s trust. I compare it to a fraternal love because it can feel so strong and yet, not be romantic in any way.

  55. Canber says:

    What a stupid article.

  56. feralchild says:

    I feel like Duana’s take at LaineyGossip was excessively harsh. What I saw and felt was Bradley’s appreciation for Gaga’s abilities as a musician and artist. She blew him away with her talent in ASIB, in my opinion.

    I think they are work husband/wife and that is not sexual.

    For viewers, watching two talented people pushing each other to be better, is sexy. Talent is sexy, and while Bradley may not have Gaga’s voice talents, he is a good actor.

  57. girl_ninja says:

    See I think that they had great chemistry. This desire to see them together in real life is so obnoxious tho.

  58. KEEKS says:

    Am I mistaken, or didn’t Bradley Cooper get up from where he was and came and sat behind her. It was a performance, they are actors. OMG people, get over it.

  59. TheOtherSam says:

    The level of coverage of this story/non-story is insane. It’s all over entertainment media. Look at all the replies here, in the second thread on this same topic today. And awards season is over – what’s with the big drum-up of publicity now? This was supposed to happen months ago. The movie has finished its run and left most theaters.

    Someone (more than one someone?) is working hard with their publicity machine to make this story go, and succeeding wildly at doing so. The question is, why.

  60. Ader says:

    Ugh. Humans are so annoying.

  61. Molly Fulton says:

    FFS! Does Mel B know what these two do for a living? And are we going to drag performers for being performative? Good grief. Take it or leave it, but don’t get bent about it.

  62. Keaton says:

    I’m not a super fan of either Lady Gaga or Bradley Cooper but I thought their performance at the Oscars was excellent. I literally mouthed the word “Wow” when it was over.
    But it was more akin to admiring top athletes performing their best under the pressure of a big game than “Wow look at the chemistry. They must be f******” (if that makes sense).

  63. Amy Tennant says:

    And OMG you guys, did you see? Keegan-Michael Key can really fly like Mary Poppins holding an umbrella! He broke the gravity code you guys, and that’s even worse, because it’s an actual law and stuff…

    Yes, it was a performance, and a darned good one, I think. They were in character. I also agree with those above who said if they were really having an affair behind Irina’s back, they’d be doing a better job hiding it. I’ve seen other people “in character” before for their Best Song performances. This is fine, and no more theatrical than we should expect from Gaga. Which, by the way, means I loved it.

  64. Ms. says:

    It’s called acting. Is that a theme relevant to the Oscars?

  65. Yes Doubtful says:

    He’s an actor and they are acting. I do think they have genuine affection for each other, but he’s affectionate with many of his leading ladies. Look up interviews with him and Sandra or Jennifer or Julia and you’ll see him acting just as flirty and sweet.

  66. HeyThere! says:

    I haven’t seen this movie yet. **runs and hides** I’m potty training one tiny toddler and have a one year old, so I don’t make it out to the movies a lot. I wanted to get a date night and see it but I feel like movies aren’t in the theater that long?! Or times goes too fast? LOL Either way, I am anxiously awaiting its arrival to one of my streaming services.

    I think NOTHING is going on between the two.

  67. Maxine says:

    They said JLaw and Bradley were together after their movie. I believe we can meet people and just know they are meant to be in our lives. It’s just a connection, that dosent mean they are in love or anything. I dont know if it was all for show or not, but I feel like this is a Brad Pitt/Jolie situation. Will be interesting how it unfolds.

  68. Daisyfly says:

    Obviously Mel is trying to make waves when it’s been reported that, during the second standing ovation, Irina was the first one to stand.

    Jeez.

  69. Div says:

    Lord, people are crazy. Gaga posted a handful of pics from the Oscars, and among them is the video clip of the performance. Pretty normal for any artist to upload videos of their performances, and I assume she knows Oscars and Grammys gives a bump to the sales and charting number and probably the last chance for this song to knock whatever if off in number one.

    Well, some are telling her it is disrespectful to post her own performance. Which is insane, and so very Handmaiden’s tale.

  70. minx says:

    It’s acting FFS.

  71. Mle428 says:

    Can we quit it with the “man stealing temptress” narrative? Full stop.

  72. Jenna says:

    This is when i dont identify as female lol. These romantic delusions by mostly women make me want to cringe

  73. teehee says:

    Ima just leave this here: I will never forget the story of Bradley wiping of Gagas makeup or demanding that she do it(whatever it was).

    Predatory, creepy, pervy, manipulative and power play.
    I don’t want anything to do with it and have not seen this or watched any clips etc.
    Whatever this is, it cant be good.

  74. Dana says:

    The author lost me when they said that there was no chemistry between Stefani and Bradley during the movie. I have to politely disagree with that one 1000%

  75. Dana says:

    Mel B needs to get off her high horse and take several seats. We all know about her beautiful past of having drug and alcohol fueled threesomes. The nanny getting knocked up by her ex and whatnot…but she suddenly wants to grasp her pearls with a duet on stage. GTFO Mel.

  76. liriel says:

    Irina unfollowed Gaga on instagram. PR move?