Why Aren't Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga Sitting Next to Each Other at the Oscars?

Cooper's girlfriend, Irina Shayk, is sitting right in the middle of them...

91st Annual Academy Awards - Show
(Image credit: Kevin Winter)

In case you haven't heard, the 2019 Oscars are currently happening in Los Angeles, and your faves Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are performing "Shallow" together later in the evening. Within minutes of the show, the camera panned on the A Star Is Born co-stars in their seats, but fans immediately wondered why the pair aren't sitting next to each other. Instead, Cooper's girlfriend and mother of his child, Irina Shayk, is sitting right in the middle of them.

91st Annual Academy Awards - Show

(Image credit: Kevin Winter)

The internet is convinced Lady Gaga and Bradley have romantic feelings for each other after Gaga recently ended her engagement with fiancé Christian Carino, and fans are wondering if the seating arrangement is on purpose.

Spoiler: It has nothing to do with the rumors, and everything to do with the Oscars' notoriously strict seating chart. A whole lot actually goes into the planning—the biggest stars go in the front rows and those expected to win are usually placed near the aisles. Politics and relationships are also taken into account—"ex-spouses, ex-lovers and ex-friends are never to be placed anywhere near each other," The New York Post explains. "You always find out ahead of time where your clients are sitting and who they’re sitting with or near," one Hollywood publicist told the Post. "If there’s a problem, the academy is very accommodating." But in this case, it seems like a simple case of The Very Normal Rules keeping the co-stars apart.

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So, no, there's no drama between Gaga and Shayk, and she isn't sending a message to Gaga/Cooper stans...so we think.

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(Image credit: Marie Claire)

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Rachel Epstein

Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.