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Lady Gaga finally addressed the long-standing rumours from her early career that she was a man. In the second episode of What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates, the pop star explained her decision to remain silent on the matter, recalling how she had been bombarded with such questions during her global tours and media appearances.
The Bad Romance singer mentioned how she “didn’t feel like a victim” amid the swirling claims and, therefore, didn’t feel the need to address the rumour until she finally cleared the air on the Netflix show that premiered on Wednesday.
Lady Gaga addresses ‘man’ rumours
“The reason I didn’t answer the question was because I didn’t feel like a victim with that lie,” Gaga told Gates in his new series as she made her way to the OTT stage. “But I thought about, what about a kid that’s being accused of that, that would think that a public figure like me would feel shame,” she continued.
The pop star recalled times when she was plagued by such claims and frequently questioned in press conferences about doctored pictures on the internet and rumours that she was a man. In 2011, she told CNN, “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.”
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Lady Gaga recalls trying to ‘change the narrative’
“I’ve been in situations where fixing a rumour was not in the best interest of the well-being of other people,” the Bloody Mary crooner acknowledged on Gates new show dealing with “the world’s most pressing issues.”
“ I tried to be thought-provoking and disruptive in another way. I tried to use the misinformation to create another disruptive point,” she added. Gaga reflected on her long history with misinformation, saying, “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.”
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The clip from the show quickly became a viral sensation on the internet, with fans praising the singer’s approach to handling controversy, her thoughtful actions, and her honesty. “And that’s why Gaga is MOTHERRRR,” one user commented. “An epitome of elegance, honesty, stardom, and majesty,” said another. “Truthfully, her level of eloquence, long-term strategy, empathy, and outright bravery is remarkable,” added a third.
“I love how intelligent, demure and mindful Lady Gaga is when she talks about defending LGBTQ+ rights & those stupid press interviews about her being a transgender to Bill Gates in his “What’s Next? The Future’ Netflix documentary,” a fourth chimed in.
Lady Gaga ‘man’ rumours
The gossip started after a picture from the 2009 Glastonbury festival, where some pointed out a bulge in her costume. Gaga often responded to these rumours with sarcasm or indifference, emphasizing that her fans were not concerned with her gender.
To push back against and defy these expectations, Gaga embraced the drag king persona of Jo Calderone. She adopted this alter ego for multiple high-profile appearances, including a Vogue cover shoot and hosting the VMAs. She continued to flaunt her cigar-smoking fictional male character in the Yoü and I music video from her 2011 album Born This Way.
