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.”
