Lady Gaga shared why she never responded to rumors that she was a man.

Lady Gaga spent the early part of her career dealing with rumors that she was a man. In almost every interview, she was asked about it but never felt the need to address it.

In a 2011 interview with Anderson Cooper, he asked her why she didn’t deny the rumors, like many other artists would have. Gaga responded by saying, “Maybe I do. Would it be so terrible? Why should I waste my time putting out a statement about whether or not I have a penis? My fans don’t care, and neither do I.”

Recently, on Netflix’s What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates, Gaga explained that she chose not to respond because it wasn’t important to her.

the time lady gaga embarrassed anderson cooper for making weird questions pic.twitter.com/XAAyT291KD https://t.co/bThqGMygnn

— leon (@skyferrori) August 20, 2024

Lady Gaga explained to Bill Gates that when she was in her early 20s, there were rumors that she was a man. During her tours and interviews, people often asked her about a doctored image online that started these rumors.

As a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, Gaga said she didn’t feel like a “victim” of these rumors and didn’t want to make kids who might face similar accusations feel ashamed. She chose not to address the rumors because she didn’t want to send the wrong message to others.

Gaga mentioned that she’s been dealing with misinformation since she was 20, and instead of trying to correct the lie, she used it to spark conversation. She found the rumors funny and saw them as part of her experience as a performer. The rumors started after a Glastonbury performance in 2009, where a doctored photo of her went viral.

In a 2010 interview with Q, Lady Gaga talked about how she leaned into the rumors about her gender. She said, “People were talking about whether I have a penis, so why not give them what they want? I even joked about wearing one onstage.”

She explained that her stage presence, including her masculine way of performing and singing in a low voice, wasn’t random. Gaga saw it as a way to make an artistic statement, calling the idea “Lady Gaga Dies Hard.”

She also discussed what the rumors really meant, especially for a female artist who’s open about her sexuality. Gaga pointed out that when men brag about sleeping with women, they get praised. But when a woman is confident and open about her sexuality, people see her as a threat, sometimes even joking that “she must have a penis.”

The show What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates is now available to stream on Netflix.