Lady Gaga’s glamorous lifestyle questioned

With her outrageous outfits, performances bordering on the pornographic
and a love life best described as ‘alternative’, Lady Gaga has become the
global pop diva one simply cannot ignore. She has raised irreverence to
glamorous new heights and managed to define herself as a cultural icon,
an art documentary maker, and was even billed as one of the world’s most
influential people according to Time magazine.
Now, in a landmark legal case, she is also set to redraw the rules of
employment, after a ferocious spat with best friend Jennifer O’Neill, who
became her personal assistant.
In testimony prepared for a forthcoming trial, the multimillionaire
megastar tells in her own words how she reigns as ‘Queen of the Universe
every day’ — and why no one should be paid overtime.
The court papers, obtained in full for the first time by The Mail on
Sunday, show how Lady Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, argues a
9-to-5 job may last 24 hours a day but in return, staff get to sleep
between Egyptian cotton sheets, eat caviar, relax on luxury yachts and
‘party all night’.
The star, 27, has submitted the expletive-filled 200-page witness
statement that explains in her own words why her entourage get perks
instead of cash for extra hours worked. She says: “It’s actually based on
a bubbly, good heart. I am quite wonderful to everyone that works for
me. I am going to tell you exactly what ******* happened, so that the
judge can read on this transcript exactly what’s going on, which is my ex-
best friend is a ******* hood rat who is suing me for money that she
didn’t earn. The job was essentially a favour, and Jennifer was majorly
unqualified for it.”
Jennifer O’Neill, 42, is claiming she worked 7,168 hours of unpaid overtime
while being employed by the star for 13 months and is demanding
£240,000 (Dh1.4 million), plus damages. She claims she was at Gaga’s
“beck and call”, responsible for her “grunt work” as the singer’s career
took off in 2010.
O’Neill, who was paid £1,000 a week, said she often had to share a bed
with the star who hated sleeping alone, had to rub the corns on her feet
and was woken up because the star could not be bothered to get up to
change a DVD.
If Gaga loses the case, due in court in New York on November 4, the
verdict will have huge ramifications for entertainment-industry employees
because, as Gaga herself says, “overtime payments are not usual in my
line of work”.
A source close to the case said: “She thinks nothing of splashing out huge
chunks of money on selfish things but when it comes to looking after her
staff and paying a fair wage for their time, she is neglectful. It’s double
standards. Her selfishness can be breathtaking at times.”