News broke last night that Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk are splitting after four years of dating. Fans are losing their minds over this development and, unsurprisingly, bringing Lady Gaga into the equation. If you recall from a few months ago, seemingly everyone on earth was shipping Gaga and Cooper—despite the fact he had a girlfriend—thanks to their dynamic chemistry in A Star Is Born. (Cooper directed and starred in the film alongside Gaga, who earned a Best Actress nomination for her performance.) Chatter about the costars being more than friends hit a fever pitch after the 2019 Oscars, when they performed their hit song "Shallow." There was palpable heat between the two of them, something Gaga later chalked up to her and Cooper's just being good actors.
"Yes, people saw love and guess what? That’s what we wanted you to see," she told Jimmy Kimmel shortly after the Academy Awards. “['Shallow'] is a love song; A Star Is Born is a love story. It was so important to both of us that we were connected the entire time…. When you’re singing love songs, that’s what you want people to feel.”
So when rumors bubbled up last week that Cooper and Shayk were on the rocks, the Gaga shippers assembled in full force. Never mind that multiple reports came out asserting Gaga had nothing to do with this split. A certain segment of fans are convinced she did—and now that the breakup is official, they're ready for a Cooper-Gaga union.
Just look at these Twitter reactions:
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These memes are funny—I admit that—but making Cooper and Shayk's breakup about Lady Gaga feels icky. For one, it completely disrespects the four-year relationship these two people had. And furthermore, it reduces Gaga to a sad, lonely woman waiting in the wings for this coupling to implode. Lady Gaga has a full-ass Las Vegas residency on her hands, not to mention a sixth studio album in the works. She doesn't have time to speed over to Cooper's house right now. She's too busy cashing multiple checks.
Look, I love Lady Gaga, and I really love A Star Is Born, but fans who were actively rooting for Cooper's relationship with Shayk to fail need to take a step back. If people are this thirsty for some Cooper-Gaga romance, then go watch the music video for "Always Remember Us This Way." Mother Monster did not ask to be a part of this narrative, so let's keep her out of it.
