Lady Gaga reveals she was raped at 19 by a music producer twice her age

SINGER Lady Gaga has revealed she was raped as a teenager by a music producer almost twice her age, in an attack that left her an emotional wreck.

The shock revelation came live on radio oveight during an interview with colourful broadcaster Howard Ste, in which the singer said she was just 19.

“I went through some horrific things that I’m able to laugh now, because I’ve gone through a lot of mental and physical therapy and emotional therapy to heal over the years,” Gaga, now 28, said.

Tough road ... in the years following the rape, Lady Gaga says she struggled to cope and tued to alcohol. Picture: Instagram Source: Supplied

“I was a shell of my former self at one point. I was not myself.”

The performer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, said she never reported the crime or confronted her attacker, but did run into him years later.

“I saw him one time in a store and I was so paralysed by fear because it wasn’t until I was a little bit older that I went, ’Wow, that was really messed up’.

Star collaborator ... Lady Gaga with iconic performer Tony Bennett, announcing their album Cheek to Cheek. Picture: Getty Images Source: Supplied

“To be fair, I was about 19. I went to Catholic school and then all this crazy stuff happened, and I was going, ’Oh, is this just the way adults are?’ I was very naive.”

It wasn’t until some time later that the “Bad Romance” singer sought professional help, believing her excessive drinking was a symptom of emotional distress over the incident.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t tell anybody. And I didn’t even tell myself for the longest time.

Art Rave ... Lady Gaga during her most recent tour of Australia, following her studio album Art Pop. Picture: WireImage Source: Supplied

“And then I was like, ’You know what? All this drinking and all this nonsense, you have to go to the source, otherwise it just won’t go away. It will not go away.’”

While she spoke openly about the ordeal, the singer was initially reluctant to answer Ste’s probing questions, asking instead if they could talk about happy thing.

It was only after the controversial radio host pushed the topic repeatedly that she went into detail.

Raised in New York, Lady Gaga is a multi award-winning recording artist whose string of number one hits, eclectic personal style and hyper produced stage shows have eat her millions of fans around the world.