Openly gay theater and TV actor Cheyenne Jackson and longtime partner Monte Lapka took their relationship a step further this summer, according to the British website Orange. Jackson had been with Lapka, a physicist, for more than a decade, and they decided to register as domestic partners. Jackson told OUT magazine, "I just thought, 'Let's just make this as legal as we can.' It was with a bunch of Russian mail-order brides, literally. And it was hilarious and it was romantic, just he and me, our little secret."
Singer/actress Liza Minnelli has cancelled seven shows due to a bout with bronchial pneumonia. In a statement, Minnelli said, "Performing live is my passion and I'm greatly disappointed that I will not be able to continue my tour. I do not want to let down my fans as my loyalty to them has always been of prime importance in my life. I will be back on stage on November 20." The cancelled concerts are Oct. 22 in Appleton, Wis.; Oct. 29 in Joliet, Ill.; Oct. 30 in Indianapolis, Ind.; Nov. 7 in Boston, Mass.; Nov. 12 in Memphis, Tenn.; and Nov. 13 in Nashville, Tenn.
Former Survivor winner Richard Hatch ( who's openly gay ) , entertainer LaToya Jackson and personality/attorney Star Jones are among the 16 contestants on the upcoming season of The Celebrity Apprentice, according to TVLatest.com . Other competitors include actress Lisa Rinna, singer/actor Meat Loaf, '70s icon David Cassidy, singer Dionne Warwick, rapper Lil Jon, actress Marlee Matlin and actor Gary Busey.
Rosie O'Donnell has voiced her support for The View co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg after they left an interview with Bill O'Reilly Oct. 14, according to Newser.com . On her radio show, O'Donnell asked, "Why would you book him?" and a member of her guest panel said that O'Reilly "incited hatred." However, O'Donnell reportedly criticized Barbara Walters, who publicly admonished Behar and Goldberg as well as O'Reilly.
Singer Melissa Etheridge, actor Danny Glover and actor/comedian Hal Sparks were on hand Oct. 21 at Ivan Kane's Café Was in Hollywood to speak about legalizing marijuana, according to Marketwire.com . THC Expose is hosting the press conference to raise media and celebrity awareness for the first-annual BuddhaFest, a music-and-peace gathering that aimed to raise awareness for cannabis and its various uses. Californians will vote on Prop 19—which will regulate, control and tax marijuana—on Nov. 2.
Actress Fran Drescher has become the latest celebrity to be featured in the Human Rights Campaign's ( HRC's ) "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality" video series, according to a press release. The campaign ( viewable at www.hrc.org/NY4marriage ) aims to raise awareness of same-sex marriage heading into the November elections. HRC has previous released videos featuring musician Moby, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actress Julianne Moore, designer Kenneth Cole and Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, the widow of tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
The TV show Glee is embroiled in yet another controversy because of a GQ magazine spread, according to US Magazine. On the cover, Glee co-star Cory Monteith has his hands on the derrieres of scantily clad co-stars Dianna Agron and Lea Michele. The Parents Television Council has released a statement saying, in part, "It is disturbing that GQ, which is explicitly written for adult men, is sexualizing the actresses who play high school-aged characters on Glee in this way. It borders on pedophilia." GQ Editor-in-Chief Jim Nelson responded, "The Parents Television Council must not be watching much TV these days and should learn to divide reality from fantasy. [ T ] hese 'kids' are in their 20s. Cory Montieth's almost 30! I think they're old enough to do what they want."
In a related development, two of Glee's stars have spoken out about the GQ spread. According to US Magazine, Mark Salling, who plays bad boy Puck, said, "I mean, come on! We're obviously not in high school. It's tongue-in-cheek that we're in high school, so whatevs ... There's more important things to worry about in the world." However, Agron has apologized to anyone who has been "hurt" or made "uncomfortable," although she added "We are not the first" people to pose for provocative photos.
Mel Gibson's scheduled appearance in the sequel to the hit film The Hangover has been cancelled in the wake of protests from the cast and crew, according to The Guardian. Gibson had garnered acclaim as an actor and director, but has also been the subject of criticism for a string of off-camera antics and statements directed against gays, Jews and, most recently, his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. Gibson will next appear in The Beaver, directed by Jodie Foster.
Sir Elton John is among those criticizing a gay joke in the upcoming Vince Vaughn comedy The Dilemma, according to Wooeb.com . John—who praised CNN anchor Anderson Cooper for bringing awareness to the "Electric cars are gay" line in the film—told US Magazine, "Enough already! I hate bigotry. I hate racial hatred. I hate sexual hatred." Of Cooper, John said, ""His heart is in exactly the right place—same as mine. He thinks the way I do. He's intelligent, and he's on the side of what we're on."
Former Big Brother contestant-turned-gay porn star Steven Daigle was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor battery after allegedly fighting with ex-boyfriend and gay-porn colleague Trent Locke, according to E! Online. Daigle was being held on $20,000 bail pending arraignment. Locke tweeted from his hospital room that Locke was dealing with a broken heart and that he could not eat.
Adam Lambert has said that he would like to be father someday, according to On Top Magazine. Answering a fan's question while in Australia, Lambert said, "At his point I think it's kinda far off because I think I'm just at the beginning of a career and I want to concentrate on that. If I was to raise a young person, I would want to give them all of me and so I would want to make sure I was in a place where the career could definitely be put on the back burner for five to ten years." Ricky Martin, Clay Aiken and Neil Patrick Harris ( who just became the father of twins, along with partner David Burtka ) are among famous gay dads.
Michael Patrick King, who directed the Sex and the City movies and executive-produced the TV shows, will helm a new film that will co-star Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock and Oprah Winfrey, according to Deadline.com . The ensemble comedy, currently untitled, will be set in the world of a Home Shopping-type network. King said that he should have the script completed by January and that he hopes to film the movie by next fall.
Ricky Martin is offering a short preview of his upcoming single "The Best Thing About Me Is You," according to Advocate.com . Martin's English-language version is a duet with British singer Joss Stone, while the Spanish-language version ( "Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tú" ) spotlights vocalist Natalia Jimenez. Martin's album is slated to be released early next year. Visit www.rickymartinmusic.com/Blog/Post/9611a110-1eff-46a9-ac74-cf3416fd65ec to hear the song.
Playgirl has offered Glee co-stars Mark Salling ( who plays Puck ) and Chord Overstreet ( Sam ) $100,000 each to pose for the magazine—and they don't have to strip, according to TVOverMind.com . However, when asked about co-stars Matthew Morrison and Cory Monteith, a Playgirl rep reportedly said that they were "adorkable." According to Zap2It.com, Salling responded to the offer by saying, "Wow...really? A 100 thousand to keep my clothes on? I'll only do it if I can take my clothes off."
One of the things Madonna is known for is being very fit—and she wants to make others just as healthy. According to Advocate.com, the superstar is opening a chain of gyms named the Hard Candy Fitness Centers, and the first will open Nov. 29 in Mexico City. Hard Candy ( which has the same name as her most recent album ) will incorporate Madonna's interests in yoga and fitness; she is slated to attend the opening.
In an interview with the New York Times, actor Zachary Quinto would not rumors regarding his sexuality—rumors that have allegedly been sparked by his support of gay rights. Quinto, 33—who also recently responded to an alleged anti-gay message posted by rapper 50 Cent—said, "The fact that these things are such hot-button issues right now, socially and politically, I would much rather talk about that than talk about who I sleep with." Quinto, who currently co-stars off-Broadway in the Tony Kushner play Angels in America, is slated to film the Star Trek sequel next year and just wrapped up Margin Call, which also features Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey and Demi Moore.
