Lady Gaga’s Story and the Power of "Til It Happens to You"

When Lady Gaga first spoke out about her sexual assault, it was a moment that struck the hearts of so many survivors. Assaulted by a music producer at just 19, she spent nearly a decade carrying that weight in silence. “I’ll never forget it. It changed who I was completely,” she said, and you can feel the gravity of that statement. Trauma doesn’t just touch one part of your life—it seeps into everything, from your mental health to your physical well-being.

Even as she began to open up, Gaga made a crucial choice: she wouldn’t name the man who assaulted her. She didn’t want to face him publicly or endure the legal and media scrutiny that would follow. For her, it wasn’t about revenge or exposure—it was about protecting her healing process. That decision, in itself, is powerful. Gaga set boundaries for herself, reminding survivors that it’s okay to heal in their own way and on their own terms. It doesn’t matter if people think you should “name and shame”—your healing is yours.

The assault left Gaga with not just emotional scars, but physical ones, too. She was diagnosed with PTSD and fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder linked to trauma. Her story highlights something a lot of people don’t realize—trauma doesn’t just live in your mind; it settles into your body, making itself known in ways you can’t always predict. But instead of letting that break her, Gaga turned to what she does best—music—and used it to reclaim her power.

Her song “Til It Happens to You,” written for the documentary The Hunting Ground, is a raw and heartbreaking anthem for survivors. “Til it happens to you, you don’t know how it feels,” she sings, and that line is everything. People often say things like “just move on” or “stay strong,” but Gaga’s song reminds us that unless you’ve been there, you can’t possibly understand the weight of trauma. You can’t tell someone how to heal when you’ve never had to walk in their shoes.

Trauma isn’t something you just “get over.” It lingers. It shows up in the form of physical pain, anxiety, PTSD, and a thousand other ways. Gaga’s own journey proves that healing isn’t linear. Some days, it’s okay to not feel strong, to let yourself hurt. And that’s the core of her message—healing takes time, and it’s deeply personal. You don’t have to be who others expect you to be; you just have to be true to your process.

At First Light, we stand by that belief. Every survivor’s journey is different, and there’s no right or wrong way to heal. Lady Gaga’s story and her music offer a lifeline to survivors—a reminder that it’s okay to take your time, it’s okay to hurt, and it’s okay to heal at your own pace. You don’t have to be strong every day, and you don’t have to move on just because someone says you should. Healing is personal, and as Gaga’s song echoes, “til it happens to you, you don’t know how it feels.”