Lady Gaga Explained The Important Reason Why She Never Denied The Rumor That She “Was A Man”
When she was coming up in the music industry in the late 2000s and 2010s, Lady Gaga was easily one of the most talked-about people on the planet. And with that fame came a lot of speculation about her personal life.
As you may remember, one of the most prominent rumors about Gaga around this time was that she was a man.
For context, this rumor is thought to have originated from photographs taken during Gaga’s 2009 Glastonbury performance, in which it appeared that she had a bulge in her crotch area.
At the time, Gaga never denied the rumors but instead actively leaned into them.
During a 2011 interview, when CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked her about speculation that she had “a male appendage,” the then-24-year-old pop star said, “Maybe I do. Would it be so terrible?”
the time lady gaga embarrassed anderson cooper for making weird questions pic.twitter.com/XAAyT291KD https://t.co/bThqGMygnn
— leon (@skyferrori) August 20, 2024
CNN / Twitter: @skyferrori
Then, when Anderson pointed out that she was making light of the rumor instead of putting out a statement refuting it, Gaga responded: “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.”
Now, over a decade later, Gaga has explained her approach to the rumor and why she never dispelled it directly.
“When I was in my early 20s, there was a rumor that I was a man,” she said in the second episode of What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates, recalling that the images that triggered the rumors “had been doctored.”
“I went all over the world. I traveled for tours and for promoting my records,” she continued. “And almost every interview I sat in they said… ‘There’s rumors that you’re a man. What do you have to say about that?’”
Notably, Gaga — who has long been a prominent supporter of the LGBTQ+ community — said the reason she never shut down the rumor was “because [she] didn’t feel like a victim” and didn’t want to put out the message that it was something shameful.
“I thought: What about a kid who is being accused of that who would think that a public figure like me would feel shame?” she said.
“I’ve been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of the well-being of other people,” she continued. “In that case, I tried to be thought provoking and disruptive in another way.”
Gaga said she “tried to use the misinformation to create another disruptive point,” adding: “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.”
Back when the rumors were making headlines, Gaga made it clear that she wasn’t shying away from the discussion. In fact, during a 2010 interview with Q, she said she would lean into the speculation in her performances.
“We all know that one of the biggest talking points of the year was that I have a dick, so why not give them what they want?” she said at the time. “I also carry myself onstage in a masculine way and sing in a low register. This is not out of nowhere, right? I want to comment on that in a beautiful, artistic way.”
She continued: “When a guy says, ‘Oh I fucked all these chicks this week,’ there’s a high-five and giggling. But when a woman does it, and it’s publicized, or she’s open about her sexuality, or she’s free or liberated, it’s, ‘Oh, she must have a dick.’ There’s a threat.”
You can watch What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates on Netflix.
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