Pop icon Lady Gaga left fans and photographers stunned during a Paris outing, revealing a dramatic hair transformation that signals a new chapter for the superstar. The 39-year-old Oscar winner swapped her signature platinum blonde locks for a cascade of chest-length black curls, marking a striking departure from her usual aesthetic.
A New Look in the City of Lights
The Poker Face singer was spotted in the French capital on Friday night, showcasing her bold new style. She complemented the dark curls with a sophisticated pastel green silk suit, a black bralette, and oversized sunglasses, creating a buzz on the Parisian streets. This style evolution comes as Gaga continues her global Mayhem Ball tour, soaking up the Parisian atmosphere before wrapping the European leg with a Saturday show. Her next destination is Australia for several performances scheduled for December.
The Dark Side of Stardom
This dramatic physical transformation coincides with Gaga opening up about a deeply challenging period in her life. In a candid interview with Rolling Stone for its December issue, the singer revealed the intense psychological toll of filming the 2018 blockbuster A Star Is Born.
Gaga disclosed that she was medicated during the production, frankly admitting, 'I did A Star Is Born on lithium.' This drug is commonly prescribed to stabilise severe mood swings. Despite the film catapulting her to movie superstardom, earning eight Oscar nominations and a win for Best Original Song for Shallow, Gaga says her 'psyche was unraveling' behind the scenes.
The situation escalated soon after filming ended. While on her Joanne tour, Gaga suffered what she described as a 'psychotic break'. 'There was one day that my sister said to me, "I don’t see my sister anymore,"' she recalled. This led her to cancel the tour and seek hospital care. 'I needed to take a break. I couldn’t do anything … I completely crashed,' she told the magazine. 'It was really scary. There was a time where I didn’t think I could get better.… I feel really lucky to be alive.'
Finding Peace, Love, and a Path Forward
Gaga credits much of her recovery to her fiancé, Harvard-educated entrepreneur Michael Polansky. The couple, who went Instagram official in early 2020 and got engaged in April 2024, have built a strong foundation. 'Being in love with someone that cares about the real me made a very big difference,' she shared.
This journey of self-discovery was arduous. 'How do you learn how to be yourself with someone when you don’t know how to be yourself with anyone?' she reflected. After years of struggle, Gaga now considers herself 'a healthy, whole person.' This renewed state of mind fuelled the creation of her latest album, Mayhem, released in March to critical acclaim. She described the process as 'months and months and months of rediscovering everything that I’d lost.'
Looking ahead, the couple are excited about starting a family. 'Being a mom is the thing I want most,' Gaga revealed, adding that Polansky 'is going to be a beautiful father.' They are also actively planning their wedding, with Polansky noting, 'We’re talking about it all the time... We don’t want a really big wedding, but we want to enjoy it.'
Gaga also spoke about the lack of safety for young artists in the music industry, reflecting on her own experience of being sexually abused by a music producer at age 19, which led to her PTSD diagnosis. 'There are no laws around who can be a producer, and they’re not vetted by anyone,' she stated, highlighting the vulnerability of young performers. 'It’s not the safest industry.'
