Lady Gaga responds to critical response to Joker 2 role

Lady Gaga has broken her silence on the negative reaction to Joker 2: Double Crazy.

Gaga, who plays Harley "Lee" Quinn in the sequel to 2019's Joker, told Elle magazine: "People just don't like things sometimes, it's as simple as that. I think as an artist you have to be prepared for people not to like your work sometimes and move on even if it doesn't have the resonance you wanted it to have."

While Gaga's performance in the sequel - performing multiple musical numbers alongside Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck - didn't draw the wrath of critics, the film as a whole received a tepid reception after a lackluster opening weekend.

The film eventually grossed $207 million, a significant drop from the $1.079 billion of the first film. Some viewers felt that the malicious tone of Joker 2 and Arthur's ultimate abandonment of the Joker went against the core spirit of the first film and damaged its reputation.

Despite the initial outcry, big names from Hideo Kojima to Quentin Tarantino have defended the sequel to DC's "Elseworlds" series, praising it for subverting expectations.

Quentin Tarantino was a guest on the podcast and talked about "Joker 2: Double Madness" and said: "He (referring to the character in the movie) is saying 'screw you' to everyone. He is saying 'screw you' to moviegoers. He is saying 'screw you' to Hollywood. He is saying 'screw you' to anyone who holds shares in DC and Warner Bros.... And Todd Phillips (director) is that clown."