Lady Gaga’s Instagram account is brimming with negative comments from Chinese users after she posted photos of her meeting with the Dalai Lama on Sunday.
Lady Gaga and the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader discussed hope, compassion and kindness during a panel moderated by journalist Ann Curry at the 84th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis.
Afterwards, the singer live-streamed an interview with the Dalai Lama on Facebook. On Instagram, Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong users swore at each other whilst others tried to defend Gaga as tens of thousands of comments flooded the post.
Many Chinese netizens took the image to mean that Gaga no longer cared about her Chinese fans.
One Weibo user said: “Goodbye, Lady Gaga, don’t ever think about coming to China again… you hurt the hearts of your Chinese fans.”
Disappointed Chinese fans had chosen “their country over their idol,” as one entertainment commentary piece put it. Another Weibo user said: “Whether Lady Gaga has a political stance or not, she is worshipping a terrorist, an enemy of China. That means she does not care about her Chinese fans or even Chinese people… Leave, Lady Gaga! The earlier she is banned the better! Take down all her songs online!”
A Chinese student studying in Australia wrote an article defending Lady Gaga to Chinese users. “DL is a celebrity to foreigners, an embodiment of love and peace… Besides, the majority of foreigners only understand modern Chinese history as far as Chairman Mao, they’re confused about Taiwan and Tibet independence… We always say the ignorant are not guilty. That’s the situation here.”
