EXCLUSIVE: Lady Gaga v Vogue! 'Poker Face' Diva 'Fuming' Over Depiction of Her Having a 'Met Gala Meltdown in Self-Published Novel by Former Mag Editor
Lady Gaga fumed over a novel depicting her in a Met Gala meltdown.
March 22 2026, Published 1:00 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal Lady Gaga is said to be furious over a depiction of her having a backstage "meltdown" at the Met Gala in a newly released novel by a former Vogue editor, with sources claiming the singer feels the portrayal crosses a line between fiction and reputational damage.
The Poker Face star, 39, is featured in Best Dressed, a self-published book by former magazine editor Filipa Fino, which draws on her experiences in the fashion industry.
Gaga Portrayed As Chaotic
Lady Gaga is reportedly furious over her portrayal in a new novel.
The novel reimagines the Met Gala as the "Crown Ball" and includes thinly veiled references to real figures including Oprah Winfrey, Anna Wintour, Mick Jagger and Taylor Swift.
One scene describes Lady Gaga becoming overwhelmed before performing at the 2010 Met Gala in New York, retreating backstage in distress. While the book is presented as fiction, its close parallels to real events have prompted backlash.
An entertainment source said: "Gaga is not taking this lightly at all. From her perspective, the way she's been portrayed feels unnecessarily dramatic and, frankly, unfair given how hard she works to maintain control and professionalism, especially in high-pressure environments like that."
Backstage Drama Feels Personal
Gaga is depicted having a backstage meltdown before performing.
Another insider said: "What's frustrating for her is that even though it's framed as fiction, people will inevitably connect the dots. When you include that level of detail and reference a real moment in her career, it stops feeling like storytelling and starts to feel personal."
In the novel, Filipa writes: "Lady Gaga was barricaded in the Met gift shop, surrounded by tote bags, snow globes, and coffee-table books, having what could only be described as a catastrophic reckoning."
She adds: "Crying. Smoking. Praying Apologizing. Then apologizing for apologizing."
Exaggerated Pre-Performance Nerves
The moment is based on her 2010 Met Gala appearance in New York.
A source familiar with Gaga's team said: "There's a real sense that this exaggerates what would have been a normal level of pre-performance nerves into something far more extreme. Artists of her caliber are used to intense build-up before going on stage, but that doesn't mean they're falling apart behind the scenes."
Despite the dramatic depiction, the book acknowledges the performance itself went smoothly, describing it as "brilliant" and "perfectly remembered."
Another industry insider said: "That contrast is part of what's bothering Gaga - the idea that she's singled out as chaotic while everyone else is calm and in control. It feeds into an outdated narrative about her being unpredictable in a negative way, which she feels she's long since moved past."
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Vogue responded lightly, calling fiction 'un.'
Elsewhere, the novel frames major female artists as central forces shaping the gala's atmosphere. Filipa writes: "Beyoncé wasn't a guest. She was framework - planned around the way cities plan around bridges."
She adds: "Madonna functioned the same way, less predictable but equally immovable."
Rihanna is described as "accounted for like weather," while Jennifer Lopez is portrayed as both "spectacle and signal." Gaga, meanwhile, is said to require "contingency planning… because she was unpredictable by design."
A publishing source said: "The intention may have been to elevate these women as larger-than-life figures, but in Gaga's case, the language around unpredictability has clearly struck a nerve, particularly when tied to a scene that suggests she was struggling emotionally."
A spokesperson for Vogue said about Filipa's book: "We look forward to reading it – fiction is always fun!"
