Talking about similarity between her and Bette's mermaid stage act, the Monster ringleader says, 'Maybe we're just cut from the same cloth.'
- July 20, 2011
AceShowbiz -
Lady GaGa has responded to allegation that she ripped off Bette Midler's mermaid stage act. In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, the Mother Monster said, "I had no idea that she did that and I'm a huge Bette Midler fan."
"Not in the beginning it wasn't 'cause I didn't know that she'd done [it], but I do now and I think it's great," she added. "Obviously I feel connected to women in theater and women from the past. Maybe we're just cut from the same cloth."
"I couldn't hop around in that tail so I just stuck myself in a wheelchair," she went on before singing praise for the Broadway star. "I'll say is that I ... admire her and find her to be one of the most brilliant and incredible performers, so that's all I'll say."
Over the weekend, Bette tweeted, "I'm not sure @ladygaga knows that I've performed my mermaid in a wheelchair for millions of people -- and many of them are still alive.....Dear @ladygaga if you think a mermaid in a wheelchair seems familiar-it's because it is!You can see it on youtube 24/7-with ME performing it."
"Dear @ladygaga Ive been doing singing mermaid in a wheelchair since 1980-You can keep the meat dress and the firecracker tits-mermaid's mine. @ladygaga, let's drink this over at the Emmys in September. Fabulous mermaids can coexist!"
Lady GaGa has dressed as a mermaid in more than one concert, but the controversy didn't come out until recently after she wore the outfit in Australia. The copycat accusation coincidentally arose just few days after Katy Perry was slammed for wearing a mermaid attire and being accused of copying GaGa.
Bette Midler in Mermaid costume:
