The artist told the radio host that she was a very "naive" young woman educated in "a Catholic school" who, when she began to try and forge a career in the music business, encountered a man 20 years her senior who abused her.
"I went through some horrific things," said the 28yearold controversial singer, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.
The performer of "Monster" said that for "four or five years" she erased the incident from her mind, but then had to go through quite a lot of "mental, physical and emotional therapy" to overcome what had happened to her.
"I'm able to laugh now" because of that therapy, she said, adding that she never confronted her attacker after the incident, although "I saw him one time in a store, and I was paralyzed by fear."
Toward the end of Lady Gaga's impassioned performance
of "Til It Happens to You," her Oscar-nominated song about sexual
assault, a curtain parted onstage, and dozens of grim-faced young men
and women stepped forward. The group, all of them survivors of sexual
assault, exposed their forearms to reveal such words and phrases as
"Survivor," "You Are Love," "Unbreakable" and "Not Your Fault."
When Gaga wrapped the song,
the men and women joined hands and raised them in solidarity. The Dolby
Theatre audience rose for a standing ovation. Several stars, including
Rachel McAdams and Kate Winslet, had tears in their eyes.
Many were moved on Twitter as well.
"#ItsOnUs
These survivors. Wow. Floored by the courage. And beauty. And realness.
#Oscars @ladygaga Thank you," tweeted "Scandal" actress Kerry
Washington, who was present.
The song, co-written by Gaga and Diane Warren, is from "The Hunting Ground," a CNN Films documentary about the recent wave of sexual assaults on American college and university campuses.
Gaga's
performance was introduced by Vice President Joe Biden, who encouraged
Americans to take action against campus sexual assault and directed
viewers to a website, It'sOnUs.org, which promptly crashed under the weight of sudden traffic.
"Let's change the culture," Biden said. "We must, and we can."
Wearing a white pantsuit and sitting at a white grand piano, Gaga poured herself into the song. The pop singer has said she herself was raped when she was 19.
"It's
such an important song for me," Gaga said on the red carpet before the
show. "One in 5 women will be raped before they finish college."
It's
been quite a month for the singer, who has long captivated fans with
her bold songs and attention-grabbing outfits. With her performance
Sunday, Lady Gaga became the first entertainer to sing at the Super
Bowl, the Grammys and the Oscars in one year.
"Til
It Happens to You" didn't win the Oscar, though. That went to
"Writing's on the Wall," the theme song from the James Bond movie
"Spectre," co-written and sung by Sam Smith.
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