It’s been six months since Lady Gaga‘s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was attacked, and now he’s setting the record straight on a few things.
In an interview with Rolling Stone Fischer addressed the criticism the “Rain on Me” singer-faced after he set up a GoFundMe asking for $40,000. As of Thursday morning, the campaign had raised nearly $33,000.
“With no vehicle, apartment, and having run out of savings and surviving on donations from generous loved ones, I am humbly asking for your help,” he wrote in the description on the fundraiser’ page. “This is not an easy thing to ask, but I have started to realize sharing your vulnerability with others is exactly when radical change begins to occur for everyone involved.”
At the time, critics questioned why Gaga couldn’t fork over the funds herself, but Fischer made a point to clarify that his asking for help was no shade to the pop star.
“Everyone thought that I was setting a blame on someone, when it was all love. It’s what happens in trauma — all your loved ones, all your family, everyone: you feel alone. You don’t feel supported because this is your journey,” he explained. “I tried so hard. I tried to navigate that. I really did think about the wording. It’s a weird video and it’s a weird way to go about life. It’s not normal and I understood that. And I really did try to navigate it as best I could.”
Lady Gaga’s three French bulldogs — named Gustav, Koji and Asia — were targeted by armed thieves during a nighttime stroll with Fischer in late February. Fischer was shot in the process. All three dogs were recovered and the suspects were charged with attempted murder and robbery.
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