Finding comfort in her friends? Lady Gaga planted a kiss on her married trumpet player, Brian Newman, during her Las Vegas Jazz and Piano residency on Saturday, June 15, following her split from ex-fiancé Christian Carino.
In a video posted to the Gaga Daily Twitter page, the A Star Is Born actress, 33, can be seen serenading Newman while holding his hand before she sings the lyrics, “Darling, kiss me.” At that point, Gaga leaned in and locked lips with the musician.
Friendship goals! (Video: dzergun/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/fBNrTxFvln
— Gaga Daily (@gagadaily) June 16, 2019
However, a source tells Us Weekly: “There is nothing to see here. Gaga is a performer, and it was a playful, harmless part of her act. She and Brian have had an incredible friendship for years and see each other as family.”
Many fans took the comments section of the video to point out the fact that Newman is married to wife Angie Pontani. “I know they are friends since…. Forever. But Christ’s sake, he [is] married!!! GAGA should behave better,” one wrote. Another added with a smiley face emoji: “His wife was there!”
Others, however, came to Gaga’s defense, pointing out that it was just for the dramatic effect of the performance — just like her onscreen chemistry with A Star Is Born costar Bradley Cooper. “She needs to chill. Joking, love seeing her in her element,” one fan gushed. A second supporter simply wrote, “Icon.”
The head-scratching moment comes on the heels of Gaga’s split from the talent agent. Us Weekly confirmed in February that the “Shallow” songstress and Carino had split after two years together, shortly after Gaga stepped out solo at the 2019 Grammy Awards and sans her pink diamond engagement ring.
The New York native broke her silence on the split earlier this month. “Last time I sang this song, I had a ring on my finger, so it’ll be different this time,” Gaga told the audience at her Jazz and Piano show before she sang her song “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
Throughout awards season, in which Gaga and Cooper were frontrunners for their roles in the hit drama romance film, admirers of the pair flooded social media with their speculation that the two were actually in love. Though they’ve both denied the gossip, the Silver Linings Playbook actor also recently split from his girlfriend of four years, Irina Shayk.
A source explained to Us that though Cooper and Gaga put on a good show for audiences, “nothing romantic” happened between them. The insider also confirmed that the American Sniper star’s separation from Shayk had “nothing to do with” his friendship with Gaga.
