Lady Gaga on Why She Never Addressed Rumors Claiming She’s a Man: ‘I Didn’t Feel Like a Victim of That Lie’

Lady Gaga has always advocated for the misunderstood. In a recent interview on Bill Gates‘ Netflix series What’s Next, she finally addressed rumors that dominated headlines at the start of her career.

When Gaga first appeared in the industry, rumors spread online claiming she was secretly a man.

According to Gaga, this came up “in almost every interview” because of fake photos that were making the rounds online. But, she never addressed the rumors publicly, and now she’s explaining why.

“The reason why I didn’t answer the question is because I didn’t feel like a victim with that lie,” Gaga shared. “I thought: ‘What about a kid who is being accused of that, who would think that a public figure like me would feel shame?’”

Instead of shutting down the rumors, she used the moment to make a statement. “I’ve been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of the well-being of other people,” she explained. “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.”

Gaga has always been an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community throughout her career, consistently standing up for gender non-conforming and transgender people.