Lady Gaga has explicitly addressed the rampant rumor of her being a man that began to circulate at the end of the 2000s. By any measurement, Lady Gaga is one of the most iconic entertainers to emerge from the 21st century so far.

Lady Gaga was not born the way some speculated years ago, and now she’s reflecting on her careful response to those dated rumors.

Folie à Deux star addressed persistent rumors early in her career that she was actually a man and why she was never overly defensive about it: “I’ve been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of the well-being of other people.