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Lady Gaga Feels 'Grateful' For This Point In Her Life: 'I Went Through A Lot' (Exclusive)

Lady Gaga is full of gratitude at this time in her life. 

"I'm in a new place," the actress-musician, 38, tells PEOPLE as her new movie Joker: Folie à Deux and its companion album Harlequin debut.

"I've been in the music industry since I was a teenager. And I've been working in the film industry for the last 10 years or so," says Gaga. "And, you know, I think that I just went through a lot."

The artist's chart-topping music, boundary-pushing fashion and awards (including an acting Oscar nomination and Best Original Song win for "Shallow" from 2018's A Star Is Born) have not come without their share of personal and professional challenges, some of which she chronicled in her 2017 documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two. 

Lady Gaga and fiancé Michael Polansky on Sept. 4, 2024.

Jacopo Raule/FilmMagic

"I feel really grateful for the career that I've had," the singer tells PEOPLE. "And I feel so grateful for my fans. Also, I think I had a lot of trouble with it at one point." 

She adds, "I just feel a lot better now, and it's nice to be able to say that. I feel really grateful to be able to say that."

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Lady Gaga on Sept. 7, 2024.

ETTORE FERRARI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Gaga plays Harleen "Lee" Quinzel, a.K.A. Harley Quinn, in Joker: Folie à Deux, the follow-up to the 2019 hit introducing Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a.K.A. Joker. Written and directed again by Todd Phillips, the sequel is a musical featuring Gaga and Phoenix delivering fanciful renditions of well-known standards. During its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 4, the film received an 11-minute standing ovation. 

As for why a DC Comics villainess was next on her list of career achievements, Gaga says with a smile, "I really wanted to do something that I've never done before."

Joker: Folie à Deux is in theaters now.

Lady Gaga Reveals Real Reason Why She Never Shut Down Rumors She Was A Man

Since catapulting to fame in the late 2000s, Lady Gaga has battled attacks on her style, her music and even her gender identity.

She has always preached inclusivity and acceptance, and now, the powerhouse entertainer is finally discussing why she made a conscious decision to mostly disregard those rumors that she is actually a man.

"I've been used to lies being printed about me since I was twenty years old. I'm a performer, I think it's kind of funny," the now 38-year-old said on Netflix's "What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates," where she spoke with the tech billionaire about disinformation. 

LADY GAGA'S MOTHER SET HER UP WITH BUSINESSMAN FIANCÉ: 'I THINK I JUST MET YOUR HUSBAND'

Lady Gaga says that since she was in her 20s, she has faced accusations that she is a man. (VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)

"So, when I was in my early 20s, there was a rumor that I was a man. And I went all over the world. I mean, I traveled for tours, for promoting my records, and almost every interview I sat in, they said," she started, before the camera cut to a stupefied Gates.

"Well there was this imagery on the Internet that had been doctored," the "Die with a Smile" singer said, clarifying what spurred those questions. "And they were like, 'You know, like there's this rumor that you're a man. Like, what do you have to say about that?'"

A picture of Lady Gaga performing in Glastonbury back in 2009, just as her career was taking off. (Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images)

The episode then cut to interviews Gaga had done in the past - fielding questions about being a "well-endowed young man" or "hermaphrodite," but never directly addressing the allegations. Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, has always been known for her eccentric outfits and pronounced makeup.

In an interview for "60 Minutes" recorded in 2011, Anderson Cooper mentioned to Gaga that she never blatantly denied the rumors, but rather, "has fun with it."

"Why the hell am I gonna waste my time and give a press release about whether or not I have a p---s. My fans don't care and neither do I," she stated.

Lady Gaga wore a unique jumpsuit and matching eye mask during a performance on New Year's Eve in 2012. (Theo Wargo/WireImage/Getty Images)

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"The reason I didn't answer the question," Gaga said, back in her conversation with Gates, "was because I didn't feel like a victim with that lie. But I thought about, like, what about a kid that's being accused of that, that would think a public figure like me would feel shame."

"The reason I didn't answer the question was because I didn't feel like a victim with that lie."

— Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga had elongated lashes for The 2019 Met Gala. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

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"I guess what I'm saying is I've been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of, I thought of like, the well-being of other people," she admitted. "So in that case, I tried to be thought-provoking and disruptive in another [way.] I tried to use the misinformation to create another disruptive point."

Lady Gaga sang at the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics in Paris this past July. (Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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"People, I think, assume that someone like me that performs, that my performance is what's not real, but to me, that's the most real thing that you'll see about me. That is so much more real than all of the rumors that are designed to orbit me to gain more clicks."

Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer and LinkedIn. Story tips can be sent to caroline.Thayer@fox.Com.

Lady Gaga On Why She Never Shut Down Rumors Claiming She's A Man: "I Didn't Feel Like A Victim With That Lie"

Lady Gaga is opening up about why she never spoke out against rumors earlier in her career claiming she was actually a man.

The singer-actress famously shut down a question about the rumor during a 2011 interview with CNN, saying, "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." Years later, she's getting candid about constantly navigating misinformation swirling about her online during 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," Lady Gaga told Bill Gates in the second episode. "I went all over the world. I traveled for tours and for promoting my records and almost every interview I sat in — there was this imagery on the Internet that had been doctored — they were like, 'There's rumors that you're a man. What do you have to say about that?'"

The Joker: Folie à Deux star said she never answered the questions "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?"

"I've been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of the well-being of other people," she continued. "In that case, I tried to be thought provoking and disruptive in another way. I tried to use the misinformation to create another disruptive point."

Lady Gaga added that she's "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."

The Grammy-winning singer was a major tour de force early in her music career, being known to take risks and disrupt the status quo. She later moved into Hollywood, showcasing her acting skills with her award-winning performance in 2018's A Star Is Born. Lady Gaga now stars in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, due out Oct. 4.

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