Lady Gaga has emerged as one of the most iconic figures in recent decades, yet not everyone believed she would achieve the level of stardom she aspired to.
Typically, it takes years of dedication for individuals to gain recognition in their field, and Lady Gaga’s journey was no exception.
Before becoming a global sensation in the late 2000s, Lady Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, had been an active musician for several years leading up to her 2008 debut album, The Fame.
Now, she boasts seven highly successful albums, numerous awards, and an impressive array of film roles, including A Star is Born and House of Gucci.
Recently, an old internet relic from Gaga’s pre-fame days resurfaced on TikTok, highlighting a period when a college-aged Stefani Germanotta was striving for recognition.
Posted by @instxdk24ds, the TikTok shows a screenshot of an alleged old Facebook group titled ‘Stefani Germanotta, you will never be famous’, along with a photo of Gaga before she achieved fame.
The TikTok contrasts this screenshot with a list of Gaga’s many achievements in both music and film.
The post garnered over 9000 likes and even caught the attention of Gaga herself, who provided some background on the Facebook group.
“Some people I went to college [with] made this way back when,” she explained in a comment.
“This is why you can’t give up when people doubt you or put you down—gotta keep going.”
The Facebook group was soon proven wrong, as Gaga’s career skyrocketed, and she is now a 13-time Grammy winner.
Fans shared their thoughts on TikTok, praising and celebrating Gaga’s accomplishments.
“Success is the best revenge,” one commenter said. Another mused, “I would love to know what the creator(s) of this page is doing now.”
The origin of the Facebook group remains somewhat unclear. Snopes has labeled the existence of the group as ‘unproven’.
However, it is possible it existed, as journalist Lauren Bohn claimed to have encountered it while a freshman at NYU.
The publication suggests the group has likely been deleted, though various parody accounts with the same name have appeared, issuing statements to clarify they are not the original group.
Given Gaga’s own recollection, it’s quite likely the group did exist at one point.