Lady Gaga Confesses She Filmed A Star Is Born While Taking Psychiatric Lithium — A Powerful Journey to Triumph

The world watched as Lady Gaga, draped in dazzling diamonds and radiating confidence, accepted her first Oscar for Best Original Song in 2019, seemingly the peak of an unstoppable career. Yet, beneath the glamour of the A Star Is Born triumph, a terrifying private crisis was unfolding.

In a candid interview, the global icon has now pulled back the curtain on that precarious period, revealing she was battling severe mental instability, fueled by overwork and trauma, which pushed her to the edge of a 'psychotic break'.

This revelation is more than just a celebrity confession; it's a profound look at the staggering cost of fame. Lady Gagadisclosed she was taking lithium, a mood stabiliser, while simultaneously filming the movie that secured her an Academy Award.

Her fight for artistic authenticity and career dominance was waged while she navigated a personal life on the brink, ultimately requiring her to seek urgent psychiatric care. Her story is one of high-stakes instability, intense vulnerability, and the transformative power of choosing survival.

Lady Gaga: Filming A Star Is Born While On Lithium

The period surrounding the 2018 release of A Star Is Born marked one of the most intense and professionally successful chapters in Lady Gaga's life.

She had recently headlined the Superbowl and released Joanne, an album that marked a significant pivot away from her signature pop music career. Yet, it was during this dizzying ascent that her personal health plummeted.

In the interview, she disclosed just how high the stakes were: she felt she was on the verge of a 'psychotic break' during that period and later needed comprehensive psychiatric care during her Joanne World Tour. The singer's decision to reveal her use of lithium, a powerful mood stabiliser, while on the set of the Oscar-winning film underscores the severe nature of the internal fight she was waging.

The crisis reached a painful climax when her own family recognised the severity of her struggle. She recalled a devastating, defining moment when her sister observed the change in her: 'I don't see my sister anymore,' a clear and strong indication that the star was rapidly losing her fundamental sense of self.

Following this, she took the drastic step of cancelling part of her tour, speaking openly about the profound personal crash that followed.

'I couldn't do anything. I completely crashed. There was a time where I didn't think I could get better,' Gaga confessed. However, having navigated that deeply personal struggle, Gaga now views her survival as a profound victory, saying she feels 'really lucky to be alive' and acknowledging that the experience was instrumental in guiding her to where she is today.

From Personal Trauma to The Triumph of Lady Gaga's MAYHEM

What makes Lady Gaga's narrative so compelling and inspiring is how she subsequently channeled her immense pain into creative purpose. Far from concealing her diagnosis or minimising her experience, she has consistently used her global platform to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

This dedication was evident during the release cycle of her 2020 album, Chromatica, which was essentially centred around the theme of dancing through personal trauma and pain.

She credits her current stability and recovery, in large part, to the support and grounding presence of her fiancé, Michael Polansky. His caring, unwavering presence, she notes, supported her through the arduous process of recovery and inspired her to rebuild her life, encouraging her to reconnect with her creative roots in the industry.

Crucially, Gaga's journey through mental health adversity did not stifle her creativity; it fuelled it. Her 2025 album, MAYHEM, was born directly from this period of intense personal rediscovery, and its artistic triumph is undeniable.

The album recently landed an extraordinary seven Grammy nominations, including major nods such as Album of the Year, with Record of the Year and Song of the Year nominations for the global hit Abracadabra. MAYHEM is widely regarded by fans and critics alike as a raw, unapologetic, and deeply brave rebirth of the true popstar.

Beyond the award-giving bodies, MAYHEM's success has had a massive cultural impact across the globe. Abracadabrabecame a worldwide hit, and her duet with Bruno Mars, Die With a Smile, spent an incredible 18 weeks at number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

Lady Gaga continues to prove that she is not just a pop icon; she is a symbol for honesty, strength, and transformation, showing millions of people that even at the height of fame, prioritising mental health matters, and healing is truly possible.