Lady Gaga helped save her dad’s life (Image: Getty)
Lady Gaga’s father, Joe Germanotta, has lifted the lid on his sobriety journey and how the Poker Face singer helped him through his alcohol dependence.
In a recent interview, Germanotta reflected on his struggles with addiction and admitted he would often forget evenings out and frequently suffered from agonising hangovers.
He added that his problem wasn’t helped by his pop icon daughter, who he often accompanied to industry parties, where booze was readily available and free.
However, Germanotta revealed things took a dark turn in 2009 when he was told that he needed open heart surgery to replace a faulty valve and doctors had advised that he give up alcohol to aid his recovery.
The restauranter, now 67-year-old, wasn’t sure he could go undergo the life-saving surgery with sobriety and drunkenly called his famous daughter, born Stefani Germanotta, and told her he was “ready to die”.
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Lady Gaga’s father Joe had a drinking problem (Image: Getty)
Germanotta told “She was heartbroken” by the call. Eventually, thanks to her help, assisted by his wife Cynthia and younger daughter Natali, they convinced him to get sober.
However, Gaga was deeply impacted by the devastating phone call, which, at the height of her career, inspired her 2009 song, Speechless.
The single was featured on her second album, The Fame Monster, along with chart-toppers Bad Romance, Telephone, and Alejandro.
In the heart-wrenching lyrics, she sings: “I can’t believe what you said to me”, “I’ll never talk again”, and “After all the drinks and bars that we’ve been to. Would you give it all up?”
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Lady Gaga and her family rallied to help Joe (Image: Getty)
Gaga has opened up about her own battles with drinking and addiction, which was partly brought on by an overdependence on pain medication for fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes crippling muscle pain.
In January, the 38-year-old told : “I used to drink a lot and smoke a lot… I was always looking for an out. I used to call it the trap door,” adding: “I [have] stopped doing that.”
After surviving heart surgery, Germanotta was able to remain sober for a few months before his old habits returned.
The opening of his Italian restaurant, Joanne’s Trattoria, meant he was constantly surrounded by alcohol, which eventually resulted in late-night lock-ins.
However, it wasn’t until 2020, when he was hospitalized for three months with , that he found the determination to quit drinking for good.
Germanotta told the Mail: “I had previously quit alcohol for periods due to other health and stress-related issues.
“But having and my previous heart surgery were certainly a wake-up call and led to me taking my sobriety seriously. I honestly haven’t looked back since.”
Initially, Germanotta turned to Alcoholics Anonymous to help him stay sober, but this was short-lived, and after attending five meetings, he found an alternative.
Germanotta revealed: “I have turned to my faith as a daily reminder to avoid the temptation of having another drink.
“With the increase of spirits alternatives available in the marketplace, it’s also now easier than ever for me to maintain my sobriety.”