Singer Stephanie Mills has never been one to bite her tongue, especially when she believes someone has disrespected a Black music legend.
Now, the pint-sized Broadway powerhouse is putting Lady Gaga on blast over an encounter that left her feeling humiliated.
And judging by what Mills had to say, time has done little to soften her feelings about the humiliating encounter.
The 69-year-old Grammy-winning singer recently appeared on “The Jason Lee Show.”
What began as a conversation about her career quickly turned into an unexpected reckoning with one of pop music’s biggest stars.
Mills recalled being invited to surprise Gaga during a New York fashion shoot years ago.
According to the singer, her manager claimed Gaga’s favorite song was “Home,” the signature ballad Mills made famous in Broadway’s “The Wiz.”
“I feel like Lady Gaga is the culture vulture today,” Mills declared. She recalled her initial reaction to the invitation: “At first, I said, ‘No. Why would I do that?'”
Eventually, she agreed. However, Gaga’s reaction was hardly the warm reception she expected.
“OK, I went, and she had a little black dog there and all the other people. And so I sang for her,” Mills recalled.
“She didn’t smile. She wouldn’t do anything. She looked at me like I had two heads,” Mills explained.
Adding insult to injury, Mills claimed she received no payment. A promised fashion shoot was supposed to compensate her for the performance.
“That was the trade-off,” she explained. Things allegedly got uglier when Mills attempted to leave.
“We left at the elevator, getting ready to leave, and they came and they said, ‘Delete,'” Mills recalled. “And they did not let us leave until they saw every picture being deleted.”
Jason Lee called the alleged treatment disrespectful. Mills agreed, saying it was “Very disrespectful.” She also questioned Gaga’s relationship with other Black artists and executives.
“That’s why I said she’s a culture vulture, because she was managed, correct, by Black men,” Mills said. Her message to Gaga was unmistakable.
“I hope you watch, and I hope you remember what you did,” the “A Rush on Me” singer said, staring in the camera. “And I feel you owe me an apology.”
Gaga has not publicly responded to the accusations.
The story also revived questions about Gaga’s strict photography policies. In 2011, according to Rolling Stone, the singer faced criticism after concert photographers were reportedly required to surrender copyrights to images taken during her performances.
Photographer and attorney David Atlas criticized the restrictions as disrespectful to photographers. That controversy involved professional concert photography, not Mills’ alleged encounter.
Threads users wasted little time siding with Mills.
“Her first mind said to turn it down and she was correct. The disrespect!” one person wrote. Another declared, “That’s that old school Brooklyn energy. Never forget, and it’s whatever.”
“She saidt what she saidt!! Put some respect on her whole existence!!” a third added.
One person stated, “I feel good all over” just to hear Ms.Mills speak out, I worked Gaga events an she’s like that all the time especially with the phone but she gives 100% , my guess is she be Tony Montana. #geeked.”
“Now Lady GaGa, we ALL waiting for that apology,” another demanded.
The backlash also sparked a larger debate about how Black music pioneers are treated by artists who have benefited from their influence.
For some critics, Mills’ allegations were another example of a familiar industry pattern where legends are celebrated for their talent but denied the respect they deserve.
One commenter went further: “Wouldn’t be the first time a white ‘artist’ got called out on some b—t, especially in regards to an ‘icon’ such as Ms Mills.”
Ironically, the women share more than just their powerful voices. Both New York natives began performing young and became Grammy winners through theatrical performances that defined their careers.
Mills grew up in Brooklyn. She conquered Broadway as Dorothy in “The Wiz” before scoring R&B hits.
The singer has also become a fierce defender of younger performers. She publicly supported former child star Halle Bailey when racist criticism erupted over her casting in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Mills compared Bailey’s experience to the resistance she faced portraying Dorothy.
Gaga was raised in Manhattan. The entertainer built a global pop empire before crossing into Hollywood with roles in “A Star Is Born” and “House of Gucci.”
And she isn’t the first white pop star to catch Mills’ wrath. In 2018, she blasted Sam Smith after the British singer admitted disliking Michael Jackson.
For Mills, the message appears unchanged. Respect the artists who paved the way, especially when you’re standing on the road they built.
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