Bradley Cooper Saw Jay-Z Watching “Judge Judy” During a Meeting With Beyoncé

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Jay-Z is apparently a Judge Judy fan.

In a new interview, Bradley Cooper recalled witnessing the rapper watching the courtroom reality show. Cooper was meeting with Jay’s wife, Beyoncé, to talk about the development of his 2018 remake of A Star Is Born. At the time, the actor-director hoped to cast the real-life musical superstar as the film’s lead. (Fellow chart-topper Lady Gaga would ultimately land the part.)

In a new interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Cooper said he had originally pitched Beyoncé for the role to Warner Bros. Pictures president Greg Silverman. In turn, Silverman agreed to greenlight the project if he could snag Beyoncé and “make it for under $25 million,” Cooper said according to People.

“I went to Beyoncé's house, and Jay-Z was watching Judge Judy, I still remember. I'm not kidding,” Cooper said. “And I was freaking [out]. I remember I had this weird cough when I was pitching it to her.”

Together, Beyoncé and Cooper went on to develop A Star is Born for about a year. As the actor explained, “It was crazy. She was incredible and so was he, and we developed it for like a year together. I mean, she's one of the greatest people of all time. Then that fell through.”

Cooper, who went on to both direct the project and star as singer Jackson Maine, then pitched the idea to Adele, who allegedly texted him back once and was too “busy” to work on the movie.

Finally, Cooper found his leading lady in Gaga after watching her sing “La Vie En Rose” at a benefit concert. “It just blew the doors off of the whole place, and it was in that moment where it was like, ‘That's it. What was I even thinking?’ And then I asked to meet her,” he said.

Gaga's performance ultimately earned her first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and she also took home an Oscar for Best Original Song.

“Bradley Cooper believed in me for the role of Ally Maine in A Star Is Born,” Gaga said during a 2021 appearance on Entertainment Weekly’s Awardist podcast. “It was the success of our artistic collaboration that landed me where I am now.”

The two seem to have maintained a close friendship in the years since, with Gaga even coming out to support a red-carpet screening of Cooper's latest film, Maestro, this past December.

You Might Also Like

• 4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora

• The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine