Of all the extremely random and out of place celebrity sightings this summer, Lana Del Rey popping up, not only at an Alabama Waffle House, but also clocking in to work a shift might have topped them all. In photos taken by onlookers, the songstress was seen tending to customers and snapping selfies with employees (all while keeping a very sturdy grip on her infamous vape).
While at this point a southern diner would be a likely place for Del Rey to be, fans conjured up all types of theories—from a potential side hustle to music video location. The star did seemingly recently take her team on a private jet so, as one Twitter user said, “That Waffle House check cleared.” Now, after a few weeks, and no word on whether she’s won employee of the month, Del Rey has finally provided an explanation for her escapade.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 38-year-old explained her amusement with just how much attention serving up breakfast foods got. “We were on our third hour, and the servers asked, ‘Do you guys want shirts?’” she told the outlet. “Hell yeah! We were thrilled.”
Despite the theories, Del Rey reportedly has friends in the small Alabama town of Florence which explains why she joined employees behind the counter. It seems that there must have been a LDR fan in the Waffle House ranks—“This guy, a regular, comes in every day and orders two things, so they were like, ‘Just go get it for him!’ I brought him a Coke. No ice. And an empty cup.” The singer added, “I didn’t see anyone take a video of me.”
Del Rey then went on to compare the craze surrounding her Waffle House stint to her 2023 album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. “I wish my album had gone as viral,” she explained. “I woke up to, like, 10,000 texts the next morning—some from folks I had not heard from for 10 years. ‘Saw your picture at the Waffle House!’ I was like, ‘Did you hear the new album?’
While there may not have been an elaborate plan behind Del Rey slinging coffee like fans assumed, for the singer, it seems that she values the simple things in life. “I like getting a bagel, down at Western Bagel, with a hot coffee and just sitting on the street—checking in with myself,” Del Rey added. “If nothing’s going wrong, I feel great. At this point, I’m really happy.”