Lady Gaga and entrepreneur Michael Polansky are still going strong after four years together.
Gaga went Instagram official with her new man after Super Bowl weekend in 2020, sharing a photo of the two of them cuddling in Miami, just days after rumors about their romance first broke.
So who is the man who’s stolen the Grammy-winning singer and actor’s heart? Here are a few basics.
He is the executive director of the Parker Foundation.
Polansky co-created the foundation in 2015 with Sean Parker, a co-founder of big tech firms like Napster and Facebook. The philanthropic organization supports the life sciences, global public health, civic engagements, and the arts, according to its website. He is also on the board of the San Franciso–based Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, which sponsors research on cancer treatment.
He is a Harvard grad.
Polansky studied applied mathematics and computer science at Harvard University, according to Page Six, which first reported the entrepreneur’s romance with Gaga. Citing Polansky’s LinkedIn profile, Entertainment Tonight says he graduated in 2006.
He was first linked with Gaga around New Year’s 2020.
Polansky and the singer had apparently been together for weeks before their coupling made news; they were even seen kissing on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, but the philanthropist wasn’t identified at the time. “They’ve been seeing other since before the holidays and she’s crazy about him,” a source told E! News in February 2020.
The insider added, “They’ve been out and about in Los Angeles and spending a lot of time at her house. She’s taking him everywhere she goes, and they don’t want to be [apart].”
They engaged in lots of PDA at the Super Bowl in Miami that year.
The hype surrounding Gaga and Polansky escalated after they were seen kissing on a balcony in Miami over the weekend of Super Bowl LIV in February 2020. The pop star had performed in town on Saturday before the game, and Polanksy was seen in the VIP section during that show with Gaga’s mother, Cynthia Germanotta, Page Six reported.
And after the Super Bowl itself on Sunday night, the couple was spotted leaving the game at Hard Rock Stadium. Gaga then confirmed the relationship with a loved-up Instagram post. “We had so much fun in Miami,” she wrote.
His ex wrote an op-ed about his new relationship.
A few weeks after the 2020 football championship, Lindsay Crouse, senior staff editor of The New York Times’ opinion section, penned a piece about learning that longtime former boyfriend Polansky was dating a Grammy-winning superstar. She and Polansky dated for “all of college, and then a few years more,” she wrote. Crouse said she didn’t follow Polansky on social media, and that he’d blocked her on Facebook after their breakup. She bore no ill will toward Gaga, though.
“Lady Gaga is amazing,” she wrote. “Comparing yourself with her is incredibly motivational, and I recommend you try it, regardless of how you relate to who’s dating her.”
Gaga is “really into him,” obviously.
All of her loved-up Instagram selfies have made it clear Gaga is smitten with Polansky. “She’s really into him!” a source told E! News weeks after news of their relationship broke. Gaga and Polansky are “are opposites of each other, which all-around is a good thing for her.” And, the source added, “He definitely cares a lot about Gaga.” No drama to see here!
Could “Stupid Love” be about him?
A week after releasing her 2020 single “Stupid Love,” Gaga referenced the romantic (I guess?) title in the caption for a new selfie with Polansky: “I’ve got a STUPID love💕.” It’s unclear when Gaga wrote the song, or whether it really is about her new beau, but the lyrics are about finally finding the right person after a long search. The first verse goes:
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for
Gotta quit this crying, nobody’s gonna
Heal me if I don’t open the door
Kinda hard to believe, gotta have faith in me
He is “the love of [Gaga’s] life,” and is helping her with charitable projects.
While speaking to Morning Joe about mental health and wellness, the superstar briefly gushed over Polansky while discussing a new project. “With Born This Way Foundation, my mother, Cynthia Germanotta, and our co-founder Maya [Enista Smith], who I love so very much—they are working with my, the love of my life on something for mental health,” Gaga said, according to People. The A Star Is Born actor explained the project was an app called Braver, inspired by dialectical behavioral therapy.
Days later, during the broadcast of One World: Together at Home, a benefit broadcast Gaga helped curate for frontline workers fighting COVID-19, the singer also gave Polansky a shout-out for helping her fundraise.
He rang in Chromatica with a dance party.
The night Gaga released her long-awaited sixth album, in May 2020, Polansky and the superstar celebrated with a dance party that aligned with social distancing rules: It was just the two of them, indoors, wearing masks. Gaga’s new song “911” played in the background, and lettered balloons spelling out the album title served as the backdrop.
Gaga loves to cook with him.
In an August 2020 Instagram post, the singer showed off a hearty pasta meal she whipped up at home, hinting that Polansky was there to enjoy it with her. “Making dinner with love🌹and some spicy Italian gravy,” Gaga wrote in the caption, later adding, “I love connecting with my culture with someone I love ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
Polansky joined Gaga in Washington, D.C., ahead of her Inauguration Day performance.
Gaga’s beau joined her the day before she performed the national anthem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in January 2021. For the performance, she wore a custom white cape dress, courtesy of Givenchy, while Polansky was low-key in all black and a baseball cap.
He and Gaga weren’t talking about marriage early on.
Gaga and Polansky are so in love, but have not seemed to be in a rush to take their relationship to the next level. “They haven’t been talking about engagement or marriage yet,” a source told Entertainment Tonight, back in 2021. “Friends don’t think that will happen any time soon. She’s very busy with her career and is not thinking about long-term plans right now, but she loves having him by her side.”
Still, Gaga is “very happy” with her beau, ET reported. An insider said Polansky was “very outwardly endearing and loving, and has an old-school gentleman vibe about him.”
“She’s very happy with Michael and feels grateful for his support,” a source also told People after Biden’s inauguration.
But they have been “acting like a married couple” for a while now.
Though Gaga and Polansky don’t seem to be in a hurry to get engaged, a source did tell People in November 2021, “They almost act like a married couple already.”
The insider said the two have bonded over their mutual “focus” on charity—Polansky’s work with the Parker Foundation and Parker Institute, and Gaga’s with her Born This Way Foundation.
“Michael is very sweet and supportive,” the source said. “He is hardworking as well, so he appreciates her focus. They are a great team.”
When Gaga’s dogs were stolen in 2021, she was busy in Rome shooting House of Gucci. “She had just arrived in Italy to film right before her dogs were stolen, and she was clearly upset for several days,” an insider said. “She would get updates from Michael,” who also “would send her videos of the dogs after he got them back.” The source added: “He also sent her flowers on the set. It was all very special, and you could tell he means the world to her.”
And Gaga might be ready to settle down soon.
In March 2021, Entertainment Tonight reported that Gaga was hoping to soon settle down with Polansky, and even had starting a family on her mind.
“She has been telling her friends that she wants to get through a few projects and then focus on settling down,” a source said. “Gaga wants to have children one day and sees a future with Michael.”
The singer opened up to InStyle in May 2020 about her desire to be a mother. “I will say I am very excited to have kids,” Gaga told the magazine. “I look forward to being a mom. Isn’t it incredible what we can do? We can hold a human inside and grow it. Then it comes out, and it’s our job to keep it alive.”
Gaga and Polansky are “the real deal,” and he has been her “North Star.”
After more than a year of dating, Gaga and Polansky were described as “the real deal.”
A source told Entertainment Tonight the couple has a deep connection, and that Polansky sees a side of Gaga that many others don’t. “He loves Lady Gaga, but he’s in love with Stefani,” the source said, calling Gaga by her birth name. The source added, “He loves the theatrics and her artistry, but he is very happy being out of the spotlight and letting her shine.”
The source also said that the two were making an effort to avoid being photographed and to keep their life as private as possible. Behind the scenes, Polansky was the pop star’s rock during a difficult year, ET reported. “Michael is her North Star. He is such a grounding and guiding presence for her,” the source said.
He was Gaga’s plus-one at the 2022 BAFTAs—where host Rebel Wilson played a practical joke on him.
Being Gaga’s boyfriend doesn’t render you immune to the wiles of award-show hosts. Case in point: At the 75th British Academy Film Awards in March 2022, host Rebel Wilson singled out Polansky, seated next to Gaga in the front row, by handing him a golden bra for “Best Plus One.”
Gaga immediately hid her face in her hands, while Wilson continued the bit. “Are you Lady Gaga’s plus-one?” she asked Polansky. “That is a good gig.”
The House of Gucci star soon recovered from the surprise, jokingly took the bra from Polansky, and hid it under her Ralph Lauren gown.
He supported Gaga at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
Following Gaga’s emotional performance of “Love for Sale” and “Do I Love You,” from Grammy-winning 2021 album with Tony Bennett, Polansky was spotted proudly cheering her on from the crowd.
He and Gaga engaged in some rare PDA at an SNL after-party.
The longtime couple were captured entering NYC hot spot L’Avenue after the singer’s surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live on October 21, 2023, when Bad Bunny hosted the sketch comedy show. Gaga and Polasnky sweetly held hands and stayed close as they entered the after-party. For the outing, she wore an all-black outfit including a leather jacket with silver fringe, courtesy of Celine, while Polansky was low-key in a brown shacket, a black T-shirt, and black pants.
They attended the 2024 Super Bowl together.
The couple made a rare public appearance at Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, where they were seen holding hands in their suite. Gaga wore a black bedazzled jacket over a red jersey, while Polansky wore a red 49ers hoodie with a black baseball cap and brown pants.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
Quinci LeGardye is an LA-based freelance writer who covers culture, politics, and mental health through a Black feminist lens. When she isn’t writing or checking Twitter, she’s probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car.
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