The day Lady Gaga was scheduled to film this final scene, she received word that one of her closest childhood friends, , was in the final stages of a battle with stage IV cancer.

Cooper, who also directed the film, reportedly pulled Gaga aside and told her she didn't have to do it that day, but she felt she needed to "sing for Sonja."

The story behind "I'll Never Love Again" is as heartbreaking as the song itself, blending the fictional tragedy of the film with a real-life loss experienced by Lady Gaga during filming. The On-Screen Story

The song was written by Jackson for Ally, but he never got to finish it. Ally finds the lyrics he tucked away and performs it as her final tribute to him. The music video features footage from this scene, cutting between Ally’s raw performance at the Shrine Auditorium and tender, intimate flashbacks of Jackson playing the song for her at home. The Real-Life Heartbreak

The tears and grief seen in the music video/film are genuine; Gaga has stated that she felt her friend’s spirit in the room during the performance.

The track was co-written by Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, and Aaron Raitiere, specifically to capture the "unbearable" nature of Jackson and Ally's love.