Lady Gaga has defended her vomit performance as "art in its purest form" and insisted she has no regrets over the controversial show.
The Poker Face singer was accused of glamorising eating disorder bulimia by sharing the stage with "vomit artist" Millie Brown, who threw up green liquid on the singer during her set at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
The performance attracted criticism from fellow pop star Demi Lovato, who claimed Gaga's show could encourage impressionable youngsters to copy her, and a group of fans who launched a petition urging the singer to sever ties with Brown.
However, Gaga is unrepentant despite the criticism, telling America's Today show: "I guess we weren't completely surprised (about the controversy). Millie and I know that not everybody's going to love that performance... But we both really believe in artistic expression and strong identities and I support her and what she does....
"For us, that performance was art in its purest form. But we totally understand that some people won't be into it... Did we want the controversy? I suppose it doesn't matter."
Gaga goes on to insist she just aimed to entertain the audience, adding: "We don't make things for any intention in particular other than in the spirit of entertaining the crowd and creating something that is really for the moment. It wasn't meant for the Today show. It was meant for a club performance in Austin, and we had a great time."
When asked whether she has any regrets about decisions she has made, the pop star concludes: "I feel like everything happens for a reason. I think you learn every time there's a challenge in your life. I wouldn't want my fans to have any regrets in their own lives, so I would say no."
