Stephanie Mills calls Lady Gaga 'culture vulture', seeks apology

Stephanie Mills has called Lady Gaga a "culture vulture" and said Gaga owes her an apology over a past encounter in New York.

Speaking on The Jason Lee Show, Mills said the incident happened at a photo shoot where Gaga's team asked her to step in and surprise Gaga with a song. That account was reported on 15 October. Billboard

According to Mills, the team told her that "Home" was Gaga's favourite song and wanted her to perform it as a surprise. She said she first said no. She was then talked into doing it.

Mills said Gaga gave her no reaction while she sang. She said Gaga did not smile and looked at her "like I had two heads".

What happened next upset her more. Mills said she posed for pictures after the performance, then Gaga's team told her group to delete them. She said they were not allowed to leave until every picture was gone.

Mills called the whole encounter "very disrespectful". She said she once had admiration for Gaga but does not any longer.

She linked her use of the phrase "culture vulture", a term used to accuse someone of borrowing from another culture without respect, to Gaga's business and music choices. Mills pointed to Gaga being managed by Black men and to Gaga recording a song with R. Kelly.

Host Jason Lee responded during the interview that her account sounded "very disrespectful". Yahoo

Gaga has not responded. Billboard reported that it contacted Gaga's representatives for comment on Mills' claims.