Lady Gaga said she never shut down the yearslong rumor that she was secretly a man so a child in a similar situation wouldn't feel shame.
In the new Netflix docuseries "What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates," Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, the pair spoke about how misinformation has affected their lives.
Gaga rose to fame during the emergence of social media, when misinformation began to spread more easily.
During the discussion, Gaga brought up the period in the early 2010s when she was repeatedly asked in interviews if she was a man or intersex after a rumor spread that she had a penis.
The rumor began after a picture of Gaga at the 2009 Glastonbury music festival went viral, in which she appeared to have a bulge in her underwear.
The singer often responded sarcastically or said her fans did not care about her gender.
@gagaslittlemonsters1 I don’t know how she handled these interviews so well and composed. #ladygaga #stefanigermanotta #interviews #thefame #thefamemonster #rumors #fyp
♬ revenge - EX7STENCE™
Gaga, who has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community throughout her career, told Gates: "I didn't answer the question was because I didn't feel like a victim with that lie, but I thought, what about a kid that's being accused of that that would think 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."
Gaga added that she tried to use the misinformation to be "thought-provoking and disruptive."
She began leaning into the rumor during her performances.
In 2010, Gaga dressed up like a man and came up with a cigar-smoking rockstar alter ego called Jo Calderone for a cover shoot for Vogue Hommes Japan. A year later, she wore the drag king look again during the "Yoü and I" music video from her 2011 album "Born This Way." She also dressed up as Jo Calderone while hosting the 2011 VMAs.
The Jo Calderone persona received mixed responses from outlets at the time, but more recently, some reporters have praised the performance as one of the most memorable moments of Gaga's career.
