This person is no longer with us: Lady Gaga gets candid on her alter ego Jo Calderone

Lady Gaga has officially bid farewell to Jo Calderone, her male alter ego. According to People, the pop star said during a lie detector test with Vanity Fair:

"This person is no longer with us."

This was the finale of a character she announced back in 2010. Jo Calderone originally appeared in a Vogue Hommes Japan photo shoot, where Gaga guest-starred as a grumpy, cigarette-smoking man.

The character came to life again when Lady Gaga played Calderone at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2011. Jo Calderone was a further development of Gaga's creative release, allowing her to experiment with identity, gender, and performance.

The character also made an appearance in her You and I music video. While Calderone had not been spotted in recent times, Lady Gaga's announcement now confirms that she has officially retired the character.

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Lady Gaga created Jo Calderone to confront conservative thoughts of individuality

Lady Gaga presented Jo Calderone in 2010 as a means to challenge conventional notions of gender. Calderone was conceived as a stubbly, short-haired Sicilian mechanic.

Lady Gaga introduced Calderone in a black-and-white Vogue Hommes Japan editorial; shot by Nick Knight. The images received attention because they presented a starkly different aspect of Gaga from her typical pop star persona.

The concept behind Calderone was to investigate gender fluidity and artistic transformation in a manner that was not prevalent in mainstream pop culture then. Gaga stuck with the character throughout; working on Calderone as a legitimate artistic endeavor and not merely as a costume shift.

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Jo Calderone became extensively popular after his entrance at the MTV VMAs

Jo Calderone gained widespread media attention when Lady Gaga stayed in character at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. She wore a black suit with slicked-down hair and performed You and I as Calderone, in a performance that mixed reality and art.

She did not break character when accepting awards and interacting with other celebrities. Calderone made an appearance in the You and I music video and was also a love interest for Gaga in her role.

The character added another dimension of visual storytelling to the song. Although Calderone's presence was dramatic during this time, Lady Gaga later stopped using the persona after this stint.

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Lady Gaga is now planning to work on other music and acting projects

Now that Jo Calderone is retired, Gaga is focusing on her new album, Mayhem, scheduled for a March 7, 2025 drop. Although she has not revealed much, the album will launch a new sound based on her newest creative vision.

Apart from music; Lady Gaga is also enthusiastically engaged in acting. She was last seen in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024). With Calderone now no longer involved in her profession, Gaga's career just continues to progress in new directions.

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Lady Gaga's statement that Jo Calderone "is no longer with us" puts an end to a unique chapter in her life. The role allowed her to experiment with performance and identity in a manner unique to the early 2010s.

However, as Gaga focuses her attention on newer creative pursuits, she has now officially severed her ties with Calderone. While Jo Calderone did make headlines for his era, Lady Gaga laying the character to rest indicates an ongoing artistic evolution.