Lady GaGa has collapsed shortly before she was due to play a gig in Indiana (January 14).

The singer was scheduled to perform at Purdue University as part of her Monster Ball tour, but cancelled at the last minute.

In a statement, her publicist told Rolling Stone: “Due to exhaustion and dehydration, Lady Gaga collapsed and passed out before her show tonight in West Lafayette, Indiana.

“Her physician has advised her to take a few days off to rest.”

Writing on her Twitter page, Lady GaGa said she had been “crying for hours” at the thought of disappointing her fans.

“An hour before the show, I was feeling dizzy and having trouble breathing,” she wrote.

“Paramedics came to take care of me, and told me my heart-rate was irregular-- a result of exhaustion and dehydration.”

She also said she had “begged everyone” to allow her to continue with the show before being forced to cancel.

She added: “I hope you can forgive me. I love my little monsters more than anything, you are everything to me. I will make-up the performance on Jan 26.”

According to the singer's website, she is due to play at New Jersey’s Borgata Casino tomorrow ahead of four New York dates next week.

Lady GaGa then heads to Europe in February for a string of dates, including shows in the UK.

(by Jason Gregory)