Lady Gaga has shed further light on the rape that took place in the early days of her music career, and the pregnancy that followed.
The 35-year-old pop star was the guest on the first episode of Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry’s new Apple TV+ docuseries ‘The Me You Can’t See’.
“I was 19 years old, and I was working in the business, and a producer said to me, ‘Take your clothes off,'” Lady Gaga revealed on the show. “I said no, and I left, and they told me they were gonna burn all my music.”
“And they didn’t stop. They didn’t stop asking me and I just froze and I just… I don’t even remember,” she said, as she broke down in tears.
On why she didn’t name the producer, Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, shared that it was because she never wanted to face him again, going on to share how abusive and dangerous the industry was.
She first discussed her rape in a radio interview on The Howard Stern Show in 2014. Two years later, she revealed that she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. She had gone to a hospital for pain and numbness and was surprised when the hospital sent a psychiatrist to treat her, rather than a medical doctor.
“I realised that it was the same pain that I felt when the person who raped me dropped me off pregnant on a corner, at my parent’s house, because I was vomiting and sick. Because I had been being abused, and I was locked away in a studio for months.”
Her road to recovery took over two years, as she “learned all the ways to pull myself out of it”, and before “it all started to slowly change.”
The ‘Me You Can’t See’ docuseries is centred around topics and discussions surrounding mental health, presented through the stories of celebrities and their struggles.
If you’ve experienced sexual assault or harassment, don’t hesitate to seek help. You can reach out to the following helpline:
Sexual Assault Care Centre (Aware)