Lady Gaga says Jo Calderone helped her navigate love, but she’s now ready to leave him behind

Lady Gaga has finally said goodbye to Jo Calderone, the rebellious, cigarette-smoking alter ego she embodied during her Born This Way era. However, she admits the experience profoundly shaped her understanding of love, masculinity, and herself.

In a candid interview with Them on March 6, Gaga reflected on what Jo Calderone meant to her. “That was actually kind of a big moment for me as a woman—to put all the pent-up fear or anger I had about relationships into one character,” she revealed.

Jo Calderone made waves in 2011 when Gaga first introduced him in the Yoü and I music video. The character, sporting a greased-back pompadour and a bad-boy attitude, soon became a central figure in her performances. But Jo was more than just an edgy persona—he was a way for Gaga to explore her own identity.

“But Jo was an important character for me,” she admitted. “It’s the way I explored what I was looking for in men, and also what I was maybe lacking in myself.”

Now, however, the Bad Romance singer has made peace with that part of her life. While acknowledging Jo’s influence, she made it clear: “He’s no longer with me, but I wish him all the best.”

Beyond Jo Calderone, Gaga also opened up about her forthcoming album, Mayhem, set for release on March 7. She explained how it differs from her 2016 album Joanne, which marked a significant shift in her artistic journey.

“I was trying to make a home for myself during Joanne, and it was almost a completely new me,” she shared. “I think that was a hard time for some of my fans because it felt so different from the ‘me’ that they knew. But it felt so needed for me.”

Now, with Mayhem, Gaga seems to be embracing another evolution—one where Jo Calderone belongs firmly in the past.