Lady Gaga and her longtime manager Troy Carter are no longer working together, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. The news comes some 24 hours after the pop star openly wept through a performance of new song “Dope” at the YouTube Music Awards.
Showbiz411 first reported of the split.
Carter was initially recruited in 2007 to represent Gaga by Vincent Herbert, who handled her A&R at Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope, and continues to work with the singer today. “She was very specific about her vision, all of the music was there, and all she needed was someone to help her translate it to the rest of the world, which is where I came in,” Carter said of that first meeting in an interview earlier this year.
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An in-demand speaker on the tech and music industry conference circuit, Carter would often describe their relationship as a simple matter of balancing creative and business decisions — she makes 95 percent of the creative calls, while he handles five percent; He makes 95 percent of the business decisions, and she five.
Their strategy clearly worked seeing as, together, Gaga, Carter and Herbert launched an international phenomenon who has sold upwards of 20 million albums worldwide.
According to a source, “creative differences” ultimately led to the break, while another insider tells THR that Carter, while sad, feels “liberated” to be relieved from duty.
Other artists on Carter’s management roster include John Legend, Lindsey Stirling and Mindless Behavior. His Atom Factory Records recently signed a joint venture deal with Capitol Music Group.
Gaga’s new album ARTPOP is scheduled for release on Nov. 11. So far, its first single “Applause” has been its highest charting song, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
A representative for Carter has not responded to THR’s request for comment. Gaga’s rep would neither confirm or deny that the singer and her manager had parted ways.
This article first appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.