Lady Gaga truly practiced what she sings at the 2023 Oscars! Before the 36-year-old Oscar winner took the stage at the 95th Annual Academy Awards to sing her song “Hold My Hand” from 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, she held out her hand to a photographer who fell as he was taking snaps of her on the red carpet. In the below video, Gaga can be seen making her way down the carpet with her entourage on March 13, 2023, when the male photog next to her tripped and fell over. Once she noticed, she immediately turned around to offer a helping hand and make sure he was okay.
Lady Gaga helped a photographer who fell over at the #Oscars red carpet. pic.twitter.com/H31sy87tFc
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) March 13, 2023
Luckily, the photographer seemed a bit frazzled by the shocking experience but was not injured in any way. He assured the Grammy winner that he was just fine, and she continued on her way. In the video below, a person behind the camera could be heard telling Gaga that her leap to help the photographer was “very nice.”
Gaga stops to help photographer who falls over taking pics of her #oscars pic.twitter.com/L1lyOfuCA4
— MAX (@ThisIsMax) March 13, 2023
Gaga already lit up the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. before her act of kindness in a striking sheer Versace gown. The dress featured a sheer corset bodice, long, sheer sleeves, and a dropped waist that flared out into a voluminous skirt that reached the ground. A sparking crystal belt dressed up the skirt, and Gaga accessorized with platinum and diamond jewelry. Her stunning necklace was from the 1950s, according to Vogue. She finished off her look with smokey eyes and a red lip.
The glitz and glam came off, though, for her emotionally raw performance of “Hold My Hand” during the show. Lady Gaga washed off her makeup and changed into ripped black jeans and a black tee as she belted out the beautiful song. Before performing, she offered an explanation about the meaning of the song.
Lady Gaga performs a stripped-down version of "Hold My Hand" at the #Oscars. https://t.co/ndiKiHeOT5 pic.twitter.com/dLlahLTjht
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
“It’s deeply personal for me,” she said as she sat on a stool. “We all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life. We need heroes sometimes. There’s heroes all around us in unassuming places, but you might find that you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.”
Gaga initially declined to perform at the 2023 Academy Awards, but she decided last minute to sing. Her performance was her fourth at the show, with her first being in 2015 with a medley of four songs from The Sound of Music to honor the film’s 50th anniversary. She then sang “Til It Happens to You” in 2016 from The Hunting Ground. 2019 was a big year for Gaga, as she and Bradley Cooper sang “Shallow” from A Star Is Born, and she went on to win the award for Best Original Song.