Was the fame too much? Did a movie deal get in the
way? Here's what Lady Gaga's lovers really think of her!
In the early days of Lady Gaga's ascent, her creative collective The Haus of Gaga was run
by a man who went by Dada. His full name was Matthew Williams, and he was behind many of
the singer's most iconic early-career moments. He helped execute the bleeding
outfit she wore during her performance of "Paparazzi" at the VMAs, and he was also
responsible for developing the infamous meat dress she wore the following year. For a time,
they were more than just creative partners; they were also lovers. However, Gaga told the Evening
Standard that she didn't want their romance to get in the way of their work, explaining,
"Dada is quite brilliant and we were crazy lovers, but I stopped it when we discovered
what a strong creative connection we had. I didn't want it just to be about careless love."
Looking back on their relationship,
Williams too focuses on their collaborative creative process rather than their romantic
chemistry. In an essay for Grailed about some of their most iconic fashion moments, Williams wrote,
"Working with Gaga was inherently collaborative. It was really us just
trying stuff out. [...] We would basically make pieces for shoots
and for performances because fashion brands wouldn't lend us cool stuff."
Williams has moved up in the fashion world since collaborating with the
"LoveGame" singer. He now runs Givenchy Couture, sharing with The Telegraph,
"It feels amazing when you go for your dream and then it actually comes true."
Little Monsters know that before Lady Gaga achieved "The Fame," she was a New York City girl
performing in dive bars. One such bar was run by Lüc Carl, a punk rocker with shaggy black hair and
a love of leather jackets. They dated on and off for years, including after Gaga was a worldwide
superstar. Her album "Born This Way" was even dedicated to him. The booklet included the phrase,
"This album is for Ü."
Note the umlaut, which Carl uses to stylize his first name. Her hit
single "Yoü & I" is about him, too. Carl owned a bar and is also from Nebraska,
so when she sings about a cool Nebraska guy, it's likely in reference to him.
As Gaga later noted in her documentary "Gaga: Five Foot Two," the relationship petered out
when she reached stratospheric fame. Carl seemed to agree with that assessment, telling BlackBook,
"I'm not the type of guy who can sit on someone else's yacht sipping champagne."
Still, it seems there were no hard feelings. He added,
"She's an amazing woman and I wish her all the best in
the world. Although I think we all know she already has it."
Lady Gaga and "Chicago Fire" star Taylor Kinney met while filming
her music video for "Yoü and I." In the video, Gaga plays a mermaid in a bathtub,
while Kinney is the hunk caring for her. Gaga recalled on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show,"
"We were in the middle of this scene and I remember that he kissed me and
it wasn't scripted for him to kiss me. [...] He just didn't really say anything,
and that was fine by me and we just kept filming."
They were very public with the details of their five-year relationship — including
using a post-coital selfie for the cover of V Magazine after the pair had apparently hooked
up on a freshly painted canvas. They were also engaged for a year before breaking up.
The pop star discussed the then-recent split in "Gaga: Five Foot Two" with a heavy heart.
"This is the third time my heart has broken like this."
She pinned the end of their engagement on having been tapped to lead "A Star Is Born," noting
that her relationships often failed as she moved into new stages of her career. However,
it seems that the two ended things on decent terms. Kinney attended one of her
concerts after they broke up. And when "A Star is Born" was finally released,
he had nothing but glowing things to say to E! News, including,
"I could only wish her the best. I'm really proud."