Lady Gaga believed real-life House of Gucci inspiration sent ‘large swarms of flies’ to follow her

Lady Gaga was convinced that the real-life woman she played in House of Gucci sent “large swarms of flies” to follow her on set.

The pop star and actor played Italian heiress and convicted murderer Patrizia Reggiani in the 2021 film, who ordered a hit on her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci in 1995. Gucci was played in the film by Adam Driver.

Gaga stayed in character for the duration of filming, and has said in a new interview that only after being pestered by flies did she “let go” of Patrizia.

“On the last day of filming, I was on the balcony of my apartment in Rome, and I was blasting Dean Martin singing ‘Mambo Italiano’, and I had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth,” Gaga told W Magazine. “I was Patrizia.”

Watch: Lady Gaga reveals why House of Gucci made her family realise she'd 'made it'

“But I knew I had to say goodbye to her. Large swarms of flies kept following me around, and I truly began to believe that she had sent them. I was ready to let her go.”

Reggiani’s frustration with House of Gucci and Gaga herself was well documented during filming, with the former convict expressing upset that the star chose not to meet her personally.

“I’m annoyed by the fact that Lady Gaga is portraying me in the new Ridley Scott film without even having the courtesy or the good sense to come and meet me,” Reggiani said in an interview with an Italian newspaper.

“I believe that any good actor should first get to know the person that they are meant to be playing,” she continued. “I think it is not right that I wasn’t contacted. And I say this with all the sympathy and appreciation that I have for her.”

In November, Gaga said that she studied panthers to prepare for the part of Patrizia and spoke entirely in an Italian accent during production. That accent, however, was criticised by the dialect coach who helped her during filming.

Watch: 'We’d do three or four hours’ - Lady Gaga’s ‘House of Gucci’ costume fittings took a surprisingly long time