Lady Gaga has shared her thoughts on one of the most persistent falsehoods that followed her in the early years of her career.
The 38-year-old singer-songwriter delved deeper into her reaction to rumors that she was secretly a man during her recent appearance on the new Netflix series. What’s next? The future with Bill Gates.
She appeared in the second episode of the series alongside the 68-year-old tech founder, billionaire and philanthropist.
According to Gaga, who premiered her new Joker sequel in Venice earlier this month, she was not worried about rumours about her gender because she was “used to lies being published” about her.
She also said she thought the questions were ultimately insignificant compared to the kind of harassment and abuse other people without her level of fame received for their gender and sexuality.
Lady Gaga revealed she never bothered to refute rumors that she was secretly a man because she didn’t feel particularly hurt by the lies; pictured on September 4 in Venice
He spoke about the rumors and his desire not to fight them during an appearance on the second episode of the new Netflix series What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates
“When I was in my early twenties there was a rumor that I was a man,” Gaga shared with Gates.
“I was traveling all over the world. I was traveling on tour and promoting my records, and almost every interview I did, they would say to me, there were manipulated images on the Internet, ‘There are rumors that you’re a man. What do you have to say about that? ‘” she said.
But Gaga (real name Stefani Germanotta) largely ignored the misguided questions because they didn’t put her well-being at stake.
“The reason I didn’t answer the question is because I didn’t feel like a victim of that lie and I thought, ‘What about a child who is being accused of that and who would think that a public figure like me would feel ashamed?'” she explained.
“I’ve been in situations where correcting a rumor wasn’t in the best interest of other people’s well-being,” she continued. “In that case, I tried to be thought-provoking and disruptive in another way. I tried to use misinformation to create another disruptive point.”
After years of misinformation, Gaga said she had developed a thick skin when faced with similar questions.
“Since I was 20, I’ve been used to people publishing lies about me. I’m an artist. I think it’s kind of funny,” she added.
Gaga famously gave a humorous and agitated response to Anderson Cooper during a 2011 interview in which he asked her about the “rumor” that she “had a male appendage” or was a “hermaphrodite.”
“Maybe so,” Gaga joked as she suggestively sucked on what appeared to be a diamond.
“When I was in my early 20s there was a rumor that I was a man,” Gaga shared with Gates; photographed in 2015 in Las Vegas
“The reason I didn’t answer the question is because I didn’t feel victimized by that lie,” she admitted. She was more concerned about “a guy being accused of that and who would think that a public figure like me would feel embarrassed”; photographed in 2017 in College Station, Texas
Although Gaga mocked Anderson Cooper for asking her about her alleged “male appendage” in 2011, she said that “setting a rumor straight wasn’t always the best thing for other people’s well-being”; pictured in 2021 in Las Vegas
Gaga’s appearance in Gates’ series comes as she prepares for the release of her film Joker: Folie à Deux, in which she stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix. She premiered it at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month; pictured on September 4 in Venice
When he pressed her on why she had “fun” with the rumors instead of immediately refuting them via press release like he thought other celebrities would do, she replied, “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,” he added.
Gaga’s appearance in Gates’ series comes as she prepares for the release of her film Joker: Folie à Deux, in which she stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix.
Earlier this month, she showed off her platinum blonde hair and chic look for the premiere of the supervillain sequel at the Venice Film Festival.