Lady Gaga on why she never addressed rumours about her gender: ‘I didn’t feel like a victim with that lie’
Gaga was speaking during an interview with Microsoft found Bill Gates
By Alim Kheraj
Lady Gaga has spoken out about why she never addressed the rumours about her gender that followed her early in her career and her reasons are brilliant.
The ‘Born This Way’ singer was speaking to Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, about misinformation on the second episode of his Netflix series, What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates, when the topic came up.
“When I was in my early 20s, there was a rumour that I was a man,” Gaga said. “I went all over the world. I travelled for tours and for promoting my records, and almost every interview I sat in… they’d say, ‘There’s rumours that you’re a man. What do you have to say about that?'”
“Why the hell am I going to waste my time and give a press release about whether or not I have a penis?” – Lady Gaga, 2011
The question arose, Gaga explained, because of a photoshopped image of her that was circulating on the internet that appeared to show the singer with a penis.
The rumours grew so heated that the singer was even asked about them during a 2011 interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN.
At the time, Gaga told the outlet: “Maybe I do? Would it be so terrible? Why the hell am I going to waste my time and give a press release about whether or not I have a penis? My fans don’t care and neither do I.”
@unlearn_com 🎙️ Do you remember this classic response from Lady Gaga in her interview with Anderson Cooper back in 2011? 👏 #unlearn #LadyGaga #unapologeticallyme #ownyourstory #andersoncooper #interview ♬ original sound – unlearn.
Now, speaking to Gates, the 38-year-old has clarified further why she was reluctant to address the rumours.
“The reason why I didn’t answer the question is because I didn’t feel like a victim with that lie,” she said. “I thought, ‘What about a kid who is being accused of that who would think that a public figure like me would feel shame?'”
Continuing, Gaga said: “I’ve been in situations where fixing a rumour was not in the best interest of the wellbeing of other people. In that case, I tried to be thought-provoking and disruptive in another way. I tried to use the misinformation to create another disruptive point.”
In fact, Gaga said that, by now, she was used to lies being printed about her. “I think it’s kind of funny,” she added.
The ‘Poker Face’ singer is currently gearing up for the release of her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux, which hits cinemas on 4 October.
Gaga has also teased a return to pop music. In social media post, she teased that the lead single from her upcoming album, currently known as LG7, would arrive next month.