Bradley Cooper Finally Addresses Lady Gaga Romance Rumors, Intimate Oscars Performance

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A Star Is Born (2018)

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Bradley Cooper is finally addressing those Lady Gaga romance rumors. The two starred in Cooper’s 2018 iteration of A Star Is Born, and their intimate performance of the song “Shallow” at the 2019 Academy Awards left viewers speculating about their offscreen chemistry.

Well, sorry, everyone — according to Cooper, the former costars’ relationship was purely platonic. In Gaga’s new Hollywood Reporter cover story, the actor confirmed that they stayed in-character as lovers Jackson and Ally Maine during their Oscars performance to ease his fear of singing live.

“Just from a personal standpoint, it reduces the anxiety level,” he said. “They kind of fall in love in that scene in the film. It’s that explosive moment that happens to happen 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 went on to praise Gaga’s work in A Star Is Born, saying, “She’s just so terribly charismatic and beautiful. When I met her, I thought, ‘If I can just harness that … then it’s just for me to mess up.’ But then, when we started working together, I realized, ‘Oh, oh, the sky’s the limit in terms of what she’s able to do and her commitment level.'”

In the past, Gaga has also squashed rumors about her relationship with Cooper. During a 2018 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the House of Gucci star rolled her eyes when Kimmel brought up people’s speculation about the two stars’ hypothetical affair.

“Yes, people saw love, and guess what? That’s what we wanted you to see,” she said at the time. “This, ‘Shallow,’ is a love song. The movie, A Star Is Born, is a love story. We worked so hard, we worked all week on that performance … It was just great, and from a performance perspective, it was so important to both of us that we were connected the entire time.”

Where to watch A Star Is Born (2018)