In Neil Strauss’ new book, “Everyone Loves You When You Are Dead: Journeys into Fame and Madness”, Lady Gaga opens up about her dark past which involved bugs, drugs, cockroaches, and iconic artists for inspiration all housed in a New York apartment where the Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter has lived for many years before striking to fame.

“Sometimes it freaks me out when I think about laying in my apartment with bedbugs and roaches on the floor and mirrors with cocaine everywhere, and no will or interest in doing anything but making music and getting high,” the “Born this Way” singer said. She also adds, “I didn’t have a bad childhood. All of the things I went through were on my own quest for an artistic journey to fuck myself up like Warhol and Bowie and Mick.”

For everything she went through though, she attributed her survival and success to a force a lot bigger than her and her idols, although she doesn’t specify who or what it is. “I’ve had such obstacles with drugs and rejection and people not believing in me. It’s been a very long and continuous road that I love, but it’s hard to just chalk it up to myself.”

The book is slated to hit the shelves in the UK on May 5. Log on to Radaronline.com to read more excerpts from the book.

Weird but true.

Lady Gaga’s long-standing business partnership with retail giant Target has come to an end, and as much as store execs try to cite the reason for the split in a ‘diplomatic’ manner, the real reason appears to be clear.

It’s politics.

Apparently, the news of Target’s support to MN Forward, a group that backed up 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial hopeful and a vocal opponent of gay marriage rights, Tom Emmer, reached Gaga’s camp and the singer was definitely not happy about it. In a statement released by the singer’s reps, it says that the company and the “Born this Way” singer “came to a mutual decision to end their overall exclusive partnership a few weeks ago”, an ending which Troy Carter, Gaga’s manager, would call as a “win-win” situation, as it allows the singer to exercise more flexible marketing strategies to expand her reach especially with the upcoming release of her third album.

On the other hand, Target feels “surprised” about the separation and “disappointed” about the statements sent by Lady Gaga’s organizations helping out LGBT groups and criticizing the company’s recent political action. “Target remains committed to the LGBT community as demonstrated by our contributions to various LGBT organizations, our recently established Policy Committee to review our political giving and our respectful, inclusive workplace environment,” reps for the company have added.