"I could listen to you and Don Lemon talk sports all night long."—Kathy Griffin's quip last New Year's Eve when Anderson Cooper and Lemon discussing football. Well, Don was discussing football. Coop was talking about his favorite halftime shows.
In recapping the top stories of 2015, I'm going to be somewhat selfish and start with me. This year, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of this weekly column—a column that I thought would only last a few months. I fully expected to be the Neil Patrick Harris of print media. That reminds me: Never say this is the "Best Column Ever!"
One of my favorite stories involved pal Leslie Jordan. He was at a Starbucks in the heart of West Hollywood and stood up to three thuggish types who loudly complained about all the "fucking faggots." Jordan yelled, "Shut the fuck up! Not in my house, not in my neighborhood!" The guys left, but Leslie made sure they didn't go far—at least not until the police arrived to take them in.
The dashing Thomas Roberts hosted NBC's Nightly News, making him the first openly gay person to anchor the evening news on a major network—Mrs. Muir doesn't count, for obvious reasons.
Speaking of hot newsmen, Gio Benitez had been squiring top fitness model Tommy DiDario for months, and they chronicled their romance online. Still we were all shocked when the ABC reporter got down on his knees in front of Tommy. If they weren't at the Eiffel Tower, I'd have anticipated something more sexual. But leave it to a gay man to execute a perfectly planned proposal in a romantic setting—and to the other gay man to get the vapors!
Lea DeLaria proposed to Chelsea Fairless, and they plan to wed later in 2016—with Sandra Bernhard officiating. Gay-porn star Harry Louis got engaged on live television in Spain to Allyson Chinalia, a guy often referred to as his lookalike. And while we don't know exactly who went down on his knees ( but one of 'em has oodles more experience ), Dustin Lance Black and Tom Daley announced their engagement in The Times of London.
At the beginning of 2015, The View was hosted by Whoopi, Rosie Perez, Rosie O'Donnell and Nicolle Wallace. Now we have Whoopi, Michelle Collins, Raven-Symone, Candace Cameron Bure, Paula Faris and Joy Behar. The only real constant is Mario Cantone. No matter what drama unfolds, we can always count on Mario!
After campaigning to replace Joan Rivers on Fashion Police, Kathy Griffin crashed and burned. It was a bad match from the start and, when the going got tough, Griffin got going. Then Melissa Rivers joined the panel. Now she's bringing in someone Joan would approve of—Margaret Cho. The show returns with a Golden Globes recap.
The show of the year was Empire—a dishy, catty, well-written nighttime soap. Taraji P. Henson is chewing up scenery like she hasn't eaten in weeks! Someone who isn't going hungry is Mo'Nique, who claims Lee Daniels offered her the role first. The show also brought us an openly gay character played by an openly gay actor. And we have his full-frontal nude photo. Jussie Smollett and his ponderous penis made many of my readers' dreams come true. Someone who saw the photo confirmed that it is indeed legit, saying cryptically, "I couldn't sit down for a week." If you're wondering what that means, check it out on BillyMasters.com .
HBO cancelled Looking, although it's returning for a wrap-up movie. Suze Orman signed off after 13 years on CNBC. And Chad Allen announced that he's retired from show business. He's getting a doctorate in clinical psychology and planning a private practice. Someday you could say, "My therapist is the kid from Dr. Quinn!"
Say what you will about the Kardashians, but Caitlyn Jenner has brought the transgender issue to the forefront of the American psyche. But she didn't do it alone. Laverne Cox laid most of the groundwork with the success of Orange Is the New Black and an Emmy nod—and she has the good sense to not be a Republican!
We heard memorable coming-out stories from Joel Grey and Holland Taylor. Since their average age is 78, we're glad to have Reid Ewing from Modern Family to bring down the average. And seeing him nude being mounted by a dog was a bonus. ( Check out BillyMasters.com . )
That reminds me: Andy Cohen admitted that the most famous person he slept with was Lance Bass! Details may not have been forthcoming, but Lance said, "Sex is a broad term ... like 'Andy banged Lance'—when did he ever say that? This is an old story."
Nick Jonas continued courting the gays with hot shirtless photos and appearances in gay clubs. But he really showed his stripes when Iggy Azalea had to cancel performing at Pittsburgh Pride. It was Jonas to the rescue. "When I heard about the difficult position Pittsburgh Pride was in just days before their event, I knew I had to find a way to help. I'm excited to do what I can to support the LGBT community in Pittsburgh," he said.
That brings us to celebrity nudes. The most popular one came courtesy of the LA revival of Bent. Yes, the show featured Jake Shears acting and singing in drag, but it was stolen by Tom Berklund's perfect body, gravity-defying ass and enormous ( semi-erect ) penis. Every bit of Jake and Tom's "work" can be seen on BillyMasters.com .
Lenny Kravitz and his penis burst onto a Stockholm stage. If I didn't see it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it. And what about 20-year-old soccer player Aaron Moody from the UK? He posted photos under the name "bigwhitecock20"—talk about truth in advertising! Besides a big white cock from Britain, we got a kinda average-sized white cock from Canada, courtesy of Justin Bieber. See all of these nudes on BillyMasters.com .
The year's biggest gay-porn scandal was about porn star Brodie Sinclair, aka Leif Derek Truitt, who was allegedly hired to fly to Chicago and have an overnight "date" with Conde Nast CFO David Geithner, the brother of former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Once Brodie/Leif figured out that Geithner had connections, he asked for help with a legal dispute. Geithner cancelled the date, but paid Brodie/Leif in full. Nonetheless, Brodie/Leif leaked details to the press, Geithner denied it, proof was produced, and lawsuits were filed.
When I'm delivering gossip for a landmark 20 years, it's definitely time to end yet another year of columns. You can find an expanded version of this column ( and much more ) on www.BillyMasters.com, the site that's always celebrating something. If you have a question, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before Ryan Seacrest's balls drop, if they haven't already. So, until next year, remember: One man's filth is another man's bible.
