Lady Gaga stands up for bullied schoolgirl

Lady Gaga has stood up for a bullied Californian schoolgirl in a video posted to social media.

The 31-year-old singer took to Instagram to talk directly to the children at El Marino Elementary school in Culver City to encourage the pupils to be kind to one another after discovering Venice, the daughter of her friend Julie, was being bullied.

"Hi everybody at El Marino Elementary. This is Lady Gaga. I'm friends with Venice, and I work with Venice's mommy, Julie," she said in the video posted on Friday (06Oct17).

"I'm really, really sad to hear that Venice is being bullied at school. I work a lot in the space of anti-bullying and I have learned that this can really change the growth and happiness of children all over the world," Gaga continued.

"So, I encourage you all to be kind to one another and to search within your community for bravery. Sometimes, it's hard to stand up to the popular kids and hang out with someone who's being bullied. Be kinder. Be braver. Go and sit with Venice and have lunch. Be a rebel," the Bad Romance hitmaker added.

Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, which she launched with her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, in 2012, focuses on empowering young people, and tackling issues such as bullying and improving mental health resources.