The 24-year-old singer admits she struggled to fit in at an all-girls private school in New York, and was frequently made fun of over her appearance.
She said: ‘I had a very big nose, very curly brown hair and I was overweight. I got made fun of.’
But while the comments undoubtedly upset Gaga, she admits it was her work and her musical talent that helped her cope.
Even now, the singer says her friends tease her about how much she changes as soon as she takes to the stage in front of millions of fans.
She said: ‘My friends joke that I’m dead until I get on stage!’
Now a world-famous singer, with hits such as Paparazzi, Poker Face and Telephone under her belt, Gaga says she hopes her work will help other young people who are being bullied.
When asked to complete the phrase ‘In 20 years, I hope people will say, Lady Gaga…’, the singer replied: ‘…changed my life, and her music gave me an identity when I didn’t belong.’
However, Gaga’s desire to succeed and to please her fans has sometimes taken its toll on the petite star.
Following a severe case of jet lag after arriving in Australia, Gaga passed out three times while performing her first show at Vector Arena in Auckland last month.
‘I was so jet lagged,’ she told Australian radio show Kyle and Jackie O.
‘I passed out about three times on stage that night but I got myself to the floor. I’d rather die on stage than walk off because I was going to pass out.’
