Bette Midler has accused Lady Gaga of stealing her ideas, insisting the pop superstar's controversial wheelchair stunt in Australia was copied from her own stage show.

The Poker Face hit-maker sparked outrage among disability rights groups by taking to the stage at a show in Sydney last week dressed in a mermaid's tail and sitting in a wheelchair. Midler has now spoken out to insist she invented the routine in the 1980s and has used it at many of her own concerts.

In a series of posts on Twitter.com, she writes, "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... 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..."

"Dear Lady Gaga I've been doing singing mermaid in a wheelchair since 1980 - You can keep the meat dress and the firecracker t**s - mermaid's mine."

The singer/actress also vowed to talk it over with Gaga when they both attend the upcoming Emmy Awards later this year, adding, "Let's drink this over at the Emmys in September. Fabulous mermaids can co-exist!"