Gibson had been Gaga’s creative director for several years.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
After a long and fruitful creative partnership, Lady Gaga has broken ties with creative director Laurieann Gibson. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the split, which came after reports that the two women had a serious falling out.
Gibson has been part of Gaga’s inner circle since well before the singer became an international superstar, beginning with the choreography for the 2008 “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” video and continuing through the soon-to-be famous steps in clips for “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Love Game,” “Paparazzi” and “Bad Romance.”
The pair were closely associated throughout Gaga’s rise to fame, with Gibson providing the choreography and artistic input on such landmark videos as “Telephone,” “Alejandro” and “Born This Way.” Gibson, who previously appeared on MTV’s “Making the Band” with Diddy and the “Starmaker” reality show, has been stepping out on her own lately, including a starring role in the BET dance competition show “Born to Dance” and another dance reality series, E!’s “The Dance Scene.”
Gibson also co-directed the Gaga videos for “Judas” and “You and I,” (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669175/lady-gaga-laurieann-gibson-you-and-i-video.jhtml) but the women reportedly clashed on the set of the former, with Gibson expressing discomfort with the religious imagery in the clip. According to the Reporter, the tension was already showing during the filming of the “Judas” video, during which Gibson told the magazine, “At one point, there was two completely different views and after the third glass of wine, I was like, ‘Listen, I don’t want lightning to strike me. I believe in the Gospel and I’m not going there.”
She was less adamant when talking to MTV News about the controversy, expressing pride in the final product. “I think the concept stuck with this one because, ultimately, there was a place where we wanted to leave the interpretation up to each individual and not take away [Gaga's] power as a performer, as a dancer, as a star,” Gibson explained, alluding to the creative clashes the pair had about the “Born This Way” video. “And to leave the moments for you to interpret and be inspired by the fact that everyone has a Judas in their life and that there is a place of deliverance. For me, I interpret differently than her, and for someone else, they’ll interpret it differently.”
A spokesperson for Gaga confirmed the split for MTV News.
Gibson also spoke out after she and Gaga failed to see eye-to-eye on the concept for the “Edge of Glory” video. After reports that video vet Joseph Kahn would be directing, Gaga instead went for a simpler cityscape treatment that drew some fire from fans. “Listen u disrespectful f–k they had an issue on set I don’t lie!!!!!”, Gibson tweeted at the time . “Creative Changes happen always educate ignorant Monster’s!!!”
The Reporter noted that relations between the two continued to fray this summer over disagreements about the “You and I” video and Gaga seemed to confirm the end with a November 6 tweet in which she announced that Gibson’s former #2, Richard Jackson, is her new choreographer.
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