Lady Gaga pens an emotional letter to her fans about the dark side of fame

'For me, it feels very unnatural, but complicated because I know it is my destiny to be a performer.'

Lady Gaga’s new documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two dropped today on Netflix and she marked the release by penning a deeply emotional letter to her fans, revealing how emotionally turbulent the road to fame can be.

In a message posted on her social media, the pop singer (affectionately referred to as Mother Monster by her fans) talked about how watching her documentary helped her put things in perspective.

She said, ‘I found myself witnessing myself in a way I am unable to see on my own. I felt proud, I felt sadness, I felt empowered, I felt vulnerable...but what struck me the most was the film’s authenticity in the way Chris, the director, chose to show my lowest lows, my highest highs, and the close relationship with my family that I clung to fiercely.’

It’s been a harrowing year for Gaga, who recently lost her best friend to cancer and revealed earlier this month that she battles fibromyalgia, a chronic pain illness. She explained on Twitter that she would be delving deeper into her experience with fibromyalgia in Gaga: Five Foot Two in the hopes that it would empower those fighting it, saying ‘I wish to help raise awareness and connect people who have it.’

In her letter, she also touched on how being one of the most recognisable faces in the world is a double edged sword: ‘Fame is not all it’s cracked up to be. It is lonely, it is isolating, and it is very psychologically challenging because fame changes the way you’re viewed by people.

‘For me, it feels very unnatural, but complicated because I know it is my destiny to be a performer. Yet I am so humbled by the side of fame that breeds love from the world, the voice I’ve been given by my fans to spread messages of empowerment and equality, the fortunate life it’s brought to me and my family and how we can now give to others in need.’

The documentary recently premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and provides an unflinching and humanising look at the life of the singer away from the glamour, from her relationship struggles to her feud with Madonna.

She explained, ‘I’m just a girl trying to become a woman, who loves to write music, to sing, to play piano, guitar, dance, perform, and act. A girl who loves her fans and wants them to grow with her, as we symbiotically empower one another to be braver and kinder.’