Bradley Cooper has finally addressed the rumors that have dogged himself and Lady Gaga since 2018 that the pair were secretly dating.
The rumors all started with the release of the 2018 movie A Star Is Born, which portrayed a love affair between two characters portrayed by 46-year-old Cooper and 35-year-old Gaga.
Fans were so impressed with their on-screen and subsequent off-screen chemistry that people began to believe they were romantically involved in real life.
Gaga helped fuel the fire when she spoke of having an “instant connection” to The Hangover actor that came “the second I saw him.”
The rumor mill then further exploded at the 2019 Oscars when the pair performed an intimate and steamy rendition of Shallow that all but convinced fans that the couple were an item.
Despite protestations from Lady Gaga, rumors of a secret relationship have hounded the pair ever since.
Bradley Cooper says he and Lady Gaga were only acting
However, this week, Bradley finally addressed those rumors while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. He claims that the pair were just acting. HR reported that Bradley “had conceived the [Oscars] performance to unfold like a scene from the movie in part to help manage his own fears about singing live.”
Bradley himself confirmed this: “Just from a personal standpoint, it reduces the anxiety level,” and added: “They kind of fall in love in that scene in the film. It’s that explosive moment that happens to them on a stage in front of thousands of people…It would have been so weird if we were both on stools facing the audience.”
Cooper did speak of his costar gushingly, calling Gaga “just so terribly charismatic and beautiful.” However, it seems their relationship has only ever been that of close friends.
Lady Gaga actually echoed these sentiments when she was questioned about the rumors by Jimmy Kimmel back in 2019. When initially asked about a possible romance, she looked away and rolled her eyes. She then iterated that everything about their performances was planned to make people think they were in love, just like in the movie.
Gaga pointed out that Bradley Cooper had directed the entire performance, down to the lighting, the camera placements, and how they interacted on stage. She finished the interview by saying, “I guess we did a good job. Fooled ya!”
Bradley Cooper is rumored to be back with ex-girlfriend, Irina Shayk
Cooper is rumored to be back in contact with ex-girlfriend, Irina Shayk, following their split in 2019, the timing of which also helped fuel rumors of an affair with Gaga.
The couple, who have a daughter together, were recently spotted strolling arm-in-arm in New York City after originally splitting due to conflicting schedules.