Gaga’s love swap
The singer dumps her fiancé for Bradley
Set to be the star attraction of this week’s Oscars, the last thing anyone expected Lady Gaga to do on the eve of the big night was end her engagement, overshadowing what was supposed to be her moment.
But that’s exactly what the kooky singer and actress did. And those close to the 32-year-old say the split all but confirms what everyone has suspected all along – she’s in love with her A Star is Born co-star Bradley Cooper!
The screen sweethearts have set the Hollywood rumour mill alight ever since they began work on their hit flick, flick much to the disgust of their partners, Bradley’s Russian supermodel girlfriend Irina Shaik, 33, and Gaga’s former fiancé, talent agent Christian Carino, 50.
Now the “Judas” singer’s rep has confirmed the split after she attended the Golden Globes without her partner – or her engagement ring.
“It’s no wonder Gaga and Bradley are sweeping up at the awards season,” an insider tells Woman’s Day. “The chemistry between them on screen is very real. Bradley’s girlfriend and Gaga’s fiancé felt sidelined even after filming wrapped and their over-the-top PDAs on the promotional trail began.
“Christian couldn’t live like that any longer. It was obvious to him that Gaga and Bradley were not being honest with themselves about their feelings for one another, so he got out before it got even worse.”
According to our insider, Christian accused the singing sensation of being “so in love with Bradley that the whole world could see it, even if she can’t” – and the singer made no effort to deny it.
And Irina – the mother of Bradley’s one-year-old daughter Lea – was widely reported to have been furious at how Bradley, 44, “ignored” her at the Globes in January, instead lavishing attention on his award-winning co-star.
“Irina felt completely humiliated, but Bradley didn’t understand what all the fuss was about,” a source said at the time. “He thinks Gaga is a creative genius and deserves to have every set of eyes in the room on her, including his.”
Now we’re told it’s highly likely that Gaga’s relationship breakdown has forced her and Bradley to address the very real connection between them.
“If I know Gaga, she’ll have confessed her true feelings to Bradley by now,” says our insider. “She’s always been painfully honest. If she’s come clean, it goes a long way to explaining why things have been a little awkward between them the past three weeks.
“But Bradley surely feels the same way about her. He’s mesmerised by her – everyone can see it. Their cast and crew saw it years ago, as soon as they started first rehearsals. She is truly a unique and fascinating woman, not to mention incredibly talented and beautiful, so no-one was surprised that he was enamoured with her right from the beginning.”
The Hangover actor is now said to be focused on creating a respectful exit strategy from his relationship, clearing the way for him to be with Gaga.
“It’s likely Bradley has asked Gaga to hide her true feelings for the rest of the awards season,” claims our source. “He still has appearances to do and doesn’t want to embarrass Irina – after all, she’s the mother of his child.
“But Bradley and Gaga both know that feelings like this don’t come along in many lifetimes, and they owe it to themselves to explore that. No-one would be surprised if they made their debut as an official couple once the awards season is over.”