Lady Gaga Responds to Bette Midler's Mermaid Rip-Off Allegations

Posted on Jul 19th 2011 5:10PM by Contessa Gayles

Lady Gaga, Bette Midler WireImage | Getty Images

Lady Gaga has responded to Bette Midler's suggestion that the pop star copied a stage act she invented decades ago, without giving her due credit. And the battle of the wheelchair mermaids continues!

If you're just tuning into this battle of the shell-boobed sea creatures, here's the scoop -- Round One: Gaga takes to the stage during a Sydney concert outfitted as a latex-finned mermaid in a wheelchair and is promptly blasted by disability rights activists for "exploitation for shock value."

Round Two: Bette Midler takes to her Twitter page (who knew 65-year-olds had Twitter accounts?) to personally put Gaga on blast and expose her for her copying ways. Turns out Bette invented the exact same bit back in 1980 and performed it regularly for years.

Which brings us to the latest -- Gaga has responded to Bette's beef, claiming she was completely unaware that the veteran entertainer pulled the same stage stunt 30 years before her. Gaga tells Access Hollywood, "I had no idea that she did that and I'm a huge Bette Midler fan."

Gaga continues, "[It was] not [a Midler tribute] in the beginning ... because I didn't know that she'd done [it], but I do now and I think it's great. Obviously I feel connected to women in theater and women from the past."

Gaga adds, "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. All 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." The defense rests.

So what do you think about Gaga's claims -- candor, or a cop-out from a copycat repeat offender?

Watch Bette Midler's Mermaid-in-a-Wheelchair Act

Watch Lady Gaga's Mermaid-in-a-Wheelchair Act at 1:40

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Filed under: Hot Off the Press, Celebrity Feuds

Around The Web:

Bette Midler Confronts Lady Gaga Over Stolen 'Mermaid In A Wheelchair'

Lady Gaga Angers Bette Midler With Wheelchair-Bound Mermaid ...

Bette Midler's Unhappy Over Lady Gaga's Wheelchair Mermaid ...

Bette Midler Calls Out Lady Gaga For Wheelchair Mermaid Performance

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John Handcock

WFC

February 06 2013 at 10:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

afarhat8

i'm not all that familiar with ms. gayles columns, but to the limited extent that i am, i liked her approach to the various topics she addresses. she seemed to know when a subject was serious, when the right approach to a particular subject should be tongue-in-cheek, and when to treat a subject (and the people that caused that subject to be the topic of her comment) as ridiculous. indeed, she seemed to have an instinct about how to approach her topic, which she combined with good, snappy writing that i both enjoyed and appreciated..

man, did her comment about 65 year olds catch me completely off guard. i'm not going to insult ms. gayles by calling her names or taking a cheap shot at her for this - unfortunately, several others who posted comments seem to have followed this path. rather. i would simply like to express my disappointment in her comment, because i believed her to have more class than to insult older people in this way.. who the hell am i to make such a judgmental statement? nobody special, just a disillusioned former reader.

August 20 2011 at 10:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

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July 28 2011 at 1:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jane

What is this comment about astonisment that 65 year olds have Twitter accounts? I know tons of 65+ olds who have them! What's your point?

July 27 2011 at 11:17 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Hello

Lady Gaga will be gone soon. A few more years and people will be saying, Lady who? Britney Spears, Madonna, you don't hear much about them anymore.

July 26 2011 at 11:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

TorrentOff

She is the vest, don't say about her nothing bad, she is very talented! On http://www.torrentoff.com there are many concerts, watch and listen to real voice!

July 26 2011 at 4:18 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

joe

YUP GAGA KNEW OR SOMEONE HAD TO TELL HER I DONT THINK SHE'LL LAST AS MUCH AS MIDLER ANYWAY...LOL

July 20 2011 at 1:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Naty

If you're a Midler fan, you knew. Shut up Gaga

July 20 2011 at 1:04 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

Javanic Gonzalez

Who Cares About the old Lady and her old Act, This is Gaga's Generation :-)

July 20 2011 at 12:27 PM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply

Anjyl

first, if she (gaga) is such a midler fan as she claims, she would know about the act bette did 30 years ago. just look at the hair for instance, bette had a HUGE blue pile of something on her head, and what color is her hair? oh it's the same shade of blue as bette's! coincidence, i don't think so.

second, this isn't the first time gaga has ripped off of someone, oh let's see, who was it again, oh yes, MADONNA! there's also kylie minogue, kelly clarkson, adam lambert, TLC. that's just to name a few. anyone remember when gaga was just a blip on the celebrity radar and she was ripping off of christina aguilera's look? and now she's releasing a new video that is a rip off of her (gaga) fave of faves, MADONNA.

if you're a fan of gaga's great for you. personally, i think she's a hack that has no talent. GIVE HER HEll BETTE!

July 20 2011 at 11:20 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply