Lady Gaga Accused of Misogyny After 'Ageist' Madonna Digs Appear on Concert Screen

Lady Gaga is facing fresh criticism after messages about Madonna were allegedly displayed on screens during a recent Mayhem Ball concert, according to a Daily Star report published as the singer marked her 40th birthday on 28 March. The latest row has pushed Lady Gaga and Madonna back into the same uneasy frame, though the claims about the screen messages have not been confirmed by Gaga and should be treated with caution.

That earlier dispute was rooted in the sale of tickets for her Mayhem World Tour, which also saw Gaga play Australia for the first time in more than a decade. According to The Guardian, prices ranged from $113 to $1,581, with even cheaper seats for one concert reportedly selling for $204. Fans complained they were being priced out, and much of the frustration focused on dynamic pricing, the system that raises costs as demand surges.

One fan quoted in the article put it bluntly, saying, 'No bl**y way. I'm not paying that much for seats in the nosebleeds for Gaga. Bl**y dynamic pricing.' Ticketmaster later said it did not use dynamic pricing to adjust ticket prices, and Gaga herself did not comment publicly on that episode. That silence matters now, because it has become a recurring feature of the conversation around her.

A Familiar Pop Flashpoint

The newest controversy centres on messages said to have appeared during the Mayhem Ball tour. One allegedly read, 'I don't think Katy Perry has ever kissed a girl,' while another reportedly said, 'Wish I could be like Lady Gaga (Madonna, 90).'

A post circulated on X claiming Gaga was 'facing backlash for allowing ageist and misogynistic comments to be displayed at her concert'.

It is easy to see why the Madonna line drew particular heat. Ageing in pop is never just about age. It is usually about who gets to remain powerful, desirable and relevant once the industry has decided a woman should shrink quietly into legacy status. The alleged jab was crude, and if it did appear as reported, it landed in precisely that territory.

Still, the available material falls short of proving intent. The article does not include a statement from Gaga or her representatives, nor does it explain whether the messages were pre-approved, fan submitted or screened in error.

That gap is significant. Without confirmation, the accusations remain unverified, and despite social media's air of certainty, nothing is confirmed so all claims should be treated with caution.

Reaction split along familiar lines. Some critics argued Gaga's team owed an apology. Others rushed to defend her, with one supporter quoted as saying, 'She's not misogynistic or ageist, she's just DEFENDING her own legacy.

Gaga is arguably bigger than Madonna and she had to put her in her place.' That defence did little to calm the argument and instead revealed the mood surrounding it. Fans were not debating moderation policies; they were reliving an old pop war in the guise of fresh outrage.

The Politics Around the Backlash

Earlier in 2025, Gaga also drew backlash from Donald Trump supporters after using her Grammy acceptance speech with Bruno Mars to speak up for trans people. The source article, citing The Hollywood Reporter, says she told the audience, 'Trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.'

That remark was always likely to harden opinion rather than soften it. Gaga has spent years as an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ communities, so the reaction was unsurprising.

Celebrity politics is now scrutinised with the same immediacy as celebrity gossip, and the article suggests the response was swift once Trump's second term began.

Taken together, the disputes tell a less tidy story than fans or critics might prefer. Gaga remains one of the biggest names in pop, but scale does not protect anyone from backlash.

It amplifies it. Over the past year, she has faced anger over ticket prices, criticism over political speech, and accusations linked to content allegedly shown on her concert screens, with no public response from her included in the available material.

That leaves the Madonna episode in an awkward place. It is unresolved, unexplained, and unlikely to disappear simply because the internet has moved on.