Lady Gaga Addresses Sexual Assault In Powerful Interview
Warning: This article discusses assault and PTSD
Lady Gaga addressed details of her sexual assault at age 19 in a powerful interview for The Me You Can’t See docuseries. The Grammy award-winning singer has often used her voice for advocacy and created the Born This Way Foundation to promote mental health awareness. But in the premiere episode of the series “Say It Out Loud”, Lady Gaga recounted her own harrowing experience in detail for the first time.
“I will NOT say his name. I understand this #MeToo movement, I understand that some people feel really comfortable with this, and I do not. I do not ever want to face that person ever again.“ —Lady Gaga pic.twitter.com/kdVx36W0nG
— Gaga Daily (@gagadaily) May 21, 2021
On the 10th anniversary of the “Born This Way” release, Lady Gaga told the world about being raped as a teenager. According to the interview, she was in the studio when the unnamed producer told her to take her clothes off or else he would burn her recordings. In 2016, she publicly disclosed having a PTSD diagnosis.
“The way that I feel when I feel pain is how I felt after I was raped,” Lady Gaga stated in the interview for The Me You Can’t See. “I’ve had so many MRIs and scans. They don’t find nothing, but your body remembers.”
Lady Gaga has been vocal about the assault in the past. Last year, she spoke with Oprah Winfrey about “being a survivor” and wanting to “share her experiences with the world.” It was a precursor to this interview, in a way.
The “Rain on Me” singer has publicly shared her experience with medication, faith, and therapy to recover from PTSD. In the midst of it all, she performed on the Joanne World Tour in 2018. She won an Oscar for her role in A Star is Born. But despite it all, Lady Gaga shares that she “was not the same girl.”
Spent my whole youth literally worshipping Lady Gaga. Today i feel shocked, exasperated and disgusted to my core. But most of all, what i feel is a heart warming, all-time-high, soul consuming amount of love for her. Gaga deserves everything. More than we thought she did.
— Monster Reactions (@LMonsterReacts) May 21, 2021
Her song, in the Shallow has a heavier weight for me from now on. You always wonder why people behave our act a certain way until you learn about their story. Keep fighting and wish you full recovery and fulfilling life darling.
— Eddie (@MrWonderfulUSA1) May 21, 2021
“Even if I have six brilliant months, all it takes is getting triggered once to feel bad,” Lady Gaga stated in the interview for The Me You Can’t See.
Speaking about her experience almost fifteen years later, Lady Gaga understands that healing is a process. She explains that it’s been a “slow rise” towards fighting off feelings of worthlessness and frequent urges to self-harm. But she is also owning her story.
U are so brave talented and strong. Inspiration of my life @ladygaga love u mom #WeLoveYouGaga pic.twitter.com/tvWOaZdevZ
— Miguel (@miiguel1025) May 21, 2021
However, Lady Gaga will not be naming her alleged assaulter any time soon. The pop icon would rather heal on her own accord.
“I understand this #Metoo movement, I understand that some others feel really comfortable with this, and I do not, I do not ever want to face that person again,” Lady Gaga stated in the interview for The Me You Can’t See. “This system is so abusive, it’s so dangerous.”
We applaud you @ladygaga for having the courage to speak out about your traumatic experience.
— The Women’s Organisation (@TheWomensOrg) May 21, 2021
It’s not easy but your story will help a lot of others who have been victims of sexual assault. https://t.co/luKGF3D7Dt
The Me You Can’t See continues to air this week on Apple TV+. Each episode aims to end the stigma of mental health in celebrity culture, where life often appears through rose-colored lenses. Find more interviews from celebrities and from co-creators Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey here.
There are resources available if you or someone you know is a victim of assault:
RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network: 1-800-656-4673
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
Writer | @IlanaDavis24
