Lady Gaga Recalls Rehearsing Oscars Performance With Sexual Assault Survivors
Lady Gaga with two sexual assault survivors featured in her Oscars performance. (Photo: Instagram)
One of the highlights of Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony was Lady Gaga’s powerful performance of “Til It Happens to You,” in which she was joined on stage by a group of survivors of rape and sexual assault. The song, which Gaga co-wrote with Diane Warren, was for The Hunting Ground, a documentary about sexual assaults on college campuses.
Related: Brie Larson Hugs Every Sexual Assault Survivor From Lady Gaga’s Powerful Oscars Performance
The survivors all wrote slogans on their arms, which they raised in defiance during the performance’s climax. Sunday night, it was a powerful moment of healing and fellowship. But on Instagram, Gaga, a survivor of rape herself, revealed that was not always the case.
“The first day of rehearsal with all the survivors I could barely get myself together,” she wrote, posted alongside a photo with two of the women featured in the performance. “My body was wrecked with inflammation and pain, crying and shaking the whole walk to the stage. The whole night before I did not sleep. The fear of knowing I would finally face that I belonged in that group.”
Related: Jaime King Comes Out as ‘Survivor’ After Lady Gaga’s Oscars Performance
Gaga continues, explaining how the group of survivors helped prepare her for the performance.
I told them I was so sorry I couldn’t be Lady Gaga for them, that I couldn’t even get dressed. I could barely get through the song, couldn’t hit any of the high notes. Hair wet, sloppy tee shirt jeans uggs, tissues. They all hugged me and told me that it was okay because it was more real this way, that they understood that they were in pain too. They told me they were there for me to support me because they believed this message needed to be heard. Without them I never could have felt strong. They accepted me for me, at my lowest and that was good enough for them, so somehow through the magic of their courage they made it good enough for me too.
Lady Gaga and those featured in her performance of “Til It Happens to You” (Photo: Instagram)
Lady Gaga also shared a photo with all of the survivors featured in her performance.
Related: ‘Bachelor’ Alum Jade Roper Reveals Teenage Rape After Lady Gaga’s Powerful Oscars Performance
On Oscar night, Gaga posted a photo with her fiancé, Taylor Kinney, thanking him for supporting her and for helping her to heal.
Taylor Kinney and Lady Gaga (Photo: Instagram)
“I never thought anyone would ever love me because I felt like my body was ruined by my abuser,” Gaga wrote. “But he loves the survivor in me. He’s stood by me all night proud and unashamedly. THAT’S a real man.”
