Bette Midler accuses Lady Gaga of copycatting

Rawr! Bring out the boxing gloves, there’s a diva bitchfest in the making.

Bette Midler accused Lady Gaga over the weekend of copying one of her popular stage routines — one in which both come out on stage in a wheelchair and mermaid costume.

Midler took to Twitter this weekend to voice her disappointment: “I’m not sure [Lady Gaga] knows that I’ve performed my mermaid in a wheelchair for millions of people — and many of them are still alive.”

She didn’t stop there, adding “Dear [Lady Gaga] if you think a mermaid in a wheelchair seems familiar-it’s because it is! You can see it on youtube 24/7-with ME performing it,” and ”Dear [Lady Gaga] Ive been doing singing mermaid in a wheelchair since 1980-You can keep the meat dress and the firecracker tits-mermaid’s mine.”

But later Midler calmed down and seemingly backtracked on her accusations, “[Lady Gaga], let’s drink this over at the Emmys in September. Fabulous mermaids can coexist!”

Here’s Lady Gaga rolling out in the mermaid garb at a performance in Sydney, Australia:

And now watch Midler’s old performance:

Does Midler have a case?