Lady Gaga Explains To Bill Gates Why She Never Combated Rumors That She Was Secretly A Man
While appearing on the Netflix series 'What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates,' Lady Gaga opened up about why she never addressed gender rumors.
Early in Lady Gaga's career, rumors circulated that the "Bad Romance" singer was either assigned male at birth or was intersex. While dealing with this kind of speculation early in her career, she never addressed the question.
During the episode, Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, admitted she paid the speculation no mind.
"I went all over the world... almost every interview I sat in – there was this imagery on the internet that had been doctored – they were like, 'There's rumors that you're a man. What do you have to say about that?' " she recalled. Anderson Cooper had also asked her about it in a 2011 interview on '60 Minutes.' He inquired about speculations that she had "a male appendage."
Even in this interview, the singer evaded the question rather than answering it. "Maybe I do... Would it be so terrible?" she replied.
When Cooper, 57, suggested that other artists would make a statement regarding the rumors, the pop star expressed, "Why [...] 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."
When speaking with Bill Gates, 68, she went deeper into her reasons for this answer. She stated that, "The reason why I didn't answer the question is because I didn't feel like a victim with that lie... What about a kid who is being accused of that who would think that a public figure like me would feel shame? I've been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of the well-being of other people."
"I've been used to lies being printed about me," she said. "I'm a performer. I think it's kind of funny."
In other Gaga news, the "Born This Way" singer is officially off the market after showing off her massive diamond engagement ring in Italy while attending the 2024 Venice Film Festival on Monday. Gaga attended the event with now-fiancé Michael Polansky.
Photos from Getty Images and published by 'Page Six' show the 38-year-old superstar with her left hand raised to her heart — the ring front and center.
Experts told the outlet that the oval-cut diamond rock is estimated to be around 10 to 20 carats. The price tag for the gem could be anywhere from $500,000 to a shocking $2 million.
