Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s chemistry in A Star is Born made audiences feel every word and scene the stars were in. The connection was so believable moviegoers and the media thought the two stars were dating in real life. Of course, Cooper and Gaga dodged those rumors while promoting the Oscar-nominated film. Since then, the two actors have never addressed the speculation until now. Years after co-starring in the hit musical film, Cooper finally gave his take on those Gaga romance rumors.
It’s a testament to Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s acting skills that viewers believed the two stars were dating off-screen. Their chemistry (along with the music) was the winning formula for A Star is Born’s success. Of course, Ally and Jackson Maine singing “Shallow” on stage sealed the deal for some moviegoers. But that seemed to be Cooper’s plan as the film’s director. The Nightmare Alley spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about their infamous Oscars performance, where the two once again seemed to share chemistry. It turns out that was on purpose, as Cooper explained,
Just from a personal standpoint, it reduces the anxiety level. 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.
Well, there you have it. It seems that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's gooey eyes at each other while performing "Shallow" at the Oscars was a way for the duo to believably get through the performance. Cooper isn't a singer by trade, and therefore had some very understandable anxiety. Although the internet would go wild over seeing the pair sing their love duet.
How Did Those Lady Gaga Rumors Start?
Around the time A Star is Born was released, affair rumors started circulating about Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. The catalyst was the often-referenced concert scene where Jackson brings Ally on stage to sing “Shallow’ for the first time. That scene sparked questions about the nature of the co-stars’ real-life relationship.
Everything seemed to ram up as Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga appeared quite close while promoting the film. Viewers got even more suspicious when Cooper popped up at Gaga’s Las Vegas residency to perform the film’s signature tune. Of course, the two co-stars denied any off-set extracurricular act. At the time Cooper had just welcomed a child with then-girlfriend Irina Shayk, while Gaga was dating talent agent Christian Carino.
Despite both stars being taken at the time, the rumors continued to rage on. More fuel was added to the dating rumors when Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga performed their popular ballad at the 2018 Oscars. You can witness the magnetic chemistry between A Star is Born co-stars.
The performance sent the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga rumors into overdrive. Of course, Gaga went on to win an Oscar for Best Song for the beloved ballad. What heightened the viewers’ romance speculation, even more, was the pop star’s breakup with Carino right before her Oscars performance. But even after the performance, romance rumors continued to bubble as Cooper and Shayk announced their breakup. Both breakups seemed to point toward the former co-stars starting a real relationship.
But those wishes never came to fruition as Lady Gaga entered a new relationship with her current boyfriend Michael Polansky in 2019. Given how private the actor is, it is currently unknown if Bradley Cooper is in a relationship despite ongoing rumors surrounding him and his ex Irina Shayk. So "Coopga" will likely never happen, but moviegoers can relive their palpable chemistry by streaming A Star is Born on HBO Max and Prime Video.
