Being in the public eye can be really challenging at times. You are being subject to intense scrutiny from the media and public, and rumors will follow you throughout your career. And for multi-award-winning pop superstar Lady Gaga, this was her case on her journey to stardom.
Early on in her career, many people may remember that the “Bad Romance” singer has dominated global headlines not only because of her music and how she challenged the perceptions regarding social norms, but also because of rumors claiming that she was a man.
In fact, in 2009, Gaga addressed this rumor and admitted that she wasn’t fazed by it. “At first, it was very strange, and everyone sorta said, ‘That’s really quite a story.’ But in a sense, I portray myself in a very androgynous way, and I love androgyny,” the Mother Monster said during an interview on ABC News.
She also made a similar comment in 2011 when she was asked by Anderson Cooper if “she had a penis.” “Maybe I do. Would it be so terrible?” the “Poker Face” singer said, adding: “Why the hell am I gonna 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.”
Related: LGBTQ+ fans thanked Lady Gaga for her response to ‘penis rumors’ in resurfaced interview
And now, the A Star is Born actress has recently reflected on this rumor that followed her throughout her career since her breakthrough to stardom in 2008, explaining why she chose to shut down the claims purposefully.
In a recent episode of Netflix’s What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates, the Mother Monster reflected on this early career rumor that spread during her 2008-2009 breakthrough to stardom, sharing why she purposefully shut down the claims.
“People assume […] that my performance is what’s not real. But to me, that’s the most real thing that you’ll see about me.”
Lady Gaga talks about how she's handled misinformation in her career in What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates. Now playing. pic.twitter.com/legQm24FEA
— Netflix (@netflix) September 18, 2024
“When I was in my early 20s, there was a rumor that I was a man,” Gaga told billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in a recent episode of Netflix’s What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates. “And I went all over the world. I traveled for tours, to promote my records. And almost every interview I sat in […] there was this imagery on the internet that had been doctored […] and they were like, ‘There’s this rumor that you’re a man. What do you have to say about that?’”
She then continued: “The reason I didn’t answer the question was because I didn’t feel like a victim with that lie.”
Putting herself in her young queer fans’ shoes, the Joker: Folie à Deux star also acknowledged that she might hurt them by vehemently denying the rumor.
While it is not in her intention to claim anyone else’s identity, Gaga explained that she purposefully didn’t shut down this rumor because she never wanted to spread narratives that may have negatively impacted the queer community.
“I’ve been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of the well-being 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,” said Gaga.
In the end, Gaga shared that she’s used to this kind of rumor and thought that they’re funny. “I’ve been used to lies being printed about me since I was 20 years old. I’m a performer. I think it’s kind of funny,” the “Shallow” singer explained.
”People, I think, assume that someone like me that performs, that my performance is what’s not real. To me, that’s the most real thing that you’ll see about me. That is so much more real than all of the rumors that are designed to orbit me to gain more clicks,” she continued.
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