Bette Midler has mounted a challenge to Lady Gaga's claim of originality after the Just Dance singer performed a routine perfected by the Beaches star 30 years ago.
The spat developed after Lady Gaga, who is known for her eccentric outfits, performed a Sydney show dressed as a wheelchair-bound mermaid.
The unusual combination is one the four-time Grammy award-winner Ms Midler has used on stage many times since at least 1980 – years before the singer formerly known as Stefani Germanotta was born.
The Jewish singer and actress, whose biggest chart success was the 1988 tearjerker Wind Beneath My Wings, told her Twitter followers that Lady Gaga was borrowing from her back-catalogue.
