Lady Gaga explains why she (mostly) ignored the rumors that she had a penis

In the early 2010s, Lady Gaga faced the same sort of vile transvestigation that has proliferated far too much in society in recent years. After a photo from Glastonbury that seemed to show Gaga with a bulge in her underwear went viral in 2009, the pop star spent multiple years fending off questions as to whether or not she had a penis in interviews. (Gaga says the original photo was doctored.) In a now-legendary clip from 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper asked the question and Gaga responded, “Maybe I do? Would it be so terrible?… 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.”

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

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Gaga just re-addressed why she never sent that press release in an appearance on Netflix’s What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates. “When I was in my early 20s there was a rumor that I was a man,” she said, via The Independent. “I went all over the world. I traveled for tours and for promoting my records and almost every interview I sat in… they were like, ‘There’s rumors that you’re a man. What do you have to say about that?'”

Other than the obviously gross nature of the question, the artist says she also didn’t want to play into the stigma of the accusation. “The reason why I didn’t answer the question is because I didn’t feel like a victim with that lie and 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… 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.”

In 2010, Gaga also addressed the rumors in an interview with Cosmopolitan. “When a guy says, ‘Oh I f***** [sic] all these chicks this week,’ there’s a high-five and giggling. But when a woman does it, and it’s publicised, or she’s open about her sexuality, or she’s free or liberated, it’s, ‘Oh, she must have a d***.’ There’s a threat.”

In her next project, Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker (and delivers an explosive rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life” in the film’s latest trailer). Joker: Folie À Deux opens October 4 in theaters.