Actor Rock Hudson's so-called "gay confession" to his wife—a conversation that was recorded more than a half-century ago—has been revealed as part of a secret file that the family of Detective Fred Otash released, according to the Huffington Post. In 1958 Hudson's wife, Phyllis Gates, asked the Hollywood legend about being gay, and Otash recorded the confrontation. Gates' 1955 marriage to Hudson eventually deteriorated, and he reportedly told her "all women are dirty." Hudson, who died of AIDS in 1985 at age 59, never came out publicly despite constant gossip about his sexuality.
At the Tonys, apparently out playwright Larry Kramer (The Normal Heart) felt disrespected despite being honored with the Isabelle Stevenson Award for his efforts, according to Out.com . Kramer told Michael Musto backstage, "It was all fucked up. They kept shunting me around. I was supposed to be on in the first segment, but everybody spoke too long, so they kept putting me off." During his acceptance speech, Kramer mentioned that June 9 was also a special day because Ryan Murphy started shooting The Normal Heart movie that day.
In another related incident, Tonys host Neil Patrick Harris has denied accusations he said the N-word when Mike Tyson appeared on stage during the show's opening, according to the New York Daily News. (The Daily Mail and TMZ reportedly accused Harris of dropping the N-bomb. The Post, however, stated that Harris clearly said "bigger.") Harris tweeted, "Really, Daily Mail?!? The N-word? That's your story?!? I would NEVER be so disrespectful and frankly, neither should you."
Soap operas All My Children and One Life To Live were scheduled to go on hiatus on June 17, but ended things June 6 because of recent labor issues between the shows' producer, Prospect Park, and IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts) Local 52, according to Deadline.com . Prospect Park is reportedly considering moving production of the two shows—based in Stamford, Conn.—to another state. IATSE recently accused Prospect Park of going over the $120,000-per-episode budget, which would trigger higher rates for the crew.
Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned actress who starred in aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, has died at age 91, according to ABC News. During her peak, Williams' co-stars included Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton and Ricardo Montalban. After her 1962 marriage to Fernando Lamas, her co-star in Dangerous When Wet, she retired from public life.
Movie-rental and -streaming service Netflix has compiled a "Pride Guide" of films and series users can watch, according to a statement. Among the movies and shows are Tomboy, Kissing Jessica Stein, Gayby, Brokeback Mountain, Adam & Steve, The L Word, Were the World Mine, Weekend, Keep the Lights On, Far from Heaven, Another Gay Movie, We Were Here, Camp, North Sea Texas and The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green.
Gay marketing agency Target 10 has compiled a list of the top LGBT sports cities in the United States—with Chicago and New York City tied at number one, according to its website. In descending order, the other cities are San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia and Seattle. The factors used in forming the list included LGBT population size, number of LGBT leagues, Google trends, hosting Gay Games, LGBT sports nights and the presence of a gay sports bar.
The Out List—which profiles prominent members of the LGBT community—will debut on HBO June 27, according to a press release. Subjects Include Dustin Lance Black, Wade Davis, Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Cynthia Nixon, Suze Orman, transgender-rights advocate Janet Mock, Larry Kramer, Lady Bunny, New York City politician Christine Quinn and Wanda Sykes. From photographer and director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, The Out List presents first-hand accounts spanning a wide range of topics, from marriage equality and religion to culture, family and politics.
Openly gay Good Morning America weatherman Sam Champion will host this year's Daytime Emmys along with AJ Hammer and HLN's Robin Meade, according to Digital Spy. This year's ceremony will air live June 16 from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., and will be preceded with Hammer interviewing stars on the red carpet. The 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards will air on HLN.
An alliance of LGBT sports leaders from across the country has announced the second annual Nike LGBT Sports Summit, set for June 12-15 in Portland, Ore., according to a press release. The summit will bring together college and professional athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, political figures, LGBT advocates and sports organizations to combat anti-LGBT bias in sports. Outsports.com's Cyd Zeigler, National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project Director Helen Carroll, and LGBT sports pioneer Pat Griffin founded the summit.
Newly released Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documents have revealed that Tie the Knot—an organization that openly gay Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson founded—was among those targeted for special scrutiny by the government organization, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The ongoing scandal over allegations of politically motivated probes by agents in the IRS' Cincinnati office has dogged President Obama's administration in recent weeks, but thus far has been portrayed by Congressional Republicans as only involving conservative groups, mostly affiliated with the Tea Party. Tie the Knot raises funds to support same-sex marriage by selling designer bow ties over the Internet.
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has revealed that he wishes to marry his cat Choupette, reportedly telling CNN that he was sad a union between the pair wouldn't be possible, according to Digital Spy. The creative director for Chanel, 79, said he was disappointed that there was "no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals." Choupette, a 22-month-old white Siamese cat, has her own iPad and has two maids of her own.
Out movie director Roland Emmerich's Centropolis Entertainment has acquired Emergence, a pitch for a large-scale contemporary science-fiction film, Deadline.com reported. Emmerich—who directed Independence Day, 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow—has other projects in the pipeline that are further along, including the movie Singularity and an adaptation of the Isaac Asimov sci-fi classic Foundation.
All eyes will be on Sir Elton John's attire when he performs in Krasnodar, Russia, July 14, according to Gay Star News. Local Communist party leader Mikhail Abramyan suggested instead of sparkling glasses and feather boas, John should wear traditional Cossack clothes such as a knee-length dark kaftan and knee-high leather boots. Abramyan said he and his 350 members were ready to protest in the streets if the gay singer did not dress "less gay."
West Hollywood, Calif., gay bar The Factory is suing R&B singer Ciara for reportedly backing out of an event during Los Angeles Pride Week, according to Edge on the Net. The "My Goodies" singer signed a $10,000 deal to appear at the Factory Nightclub on June 7—the day before she was supposed to perform on the main stage at the 2013 L.A. Pride Parade. Ciara's rep said the lawsuit is ridiculous because the singer backed out before the deal was finalized. Moreover, Ciara was served with a lawsuit while performing on stage.
Out gay NBA player Jason Collins threw the first pitch at Boston's Fenway Park recently when baseball's Red Sox game played the Texas Rangers, USA Today reported. On April 29, the Red Sox tweeted, "We salute you, @jasoncollins34 for your courage and leadership. Any time you want to throw out a first pitch at Fenway Park, let us know." The 7-foot center was greeted with applause when the PA announcer read the opening of Collins' Sports Illustrated article: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay."
Actress Carey Mulligan is the frontrunner to play the young Hillary Clinton in the forthcoming biographical film Rodham, according to The Guardian. (Others being considered include Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and Scarlett Johansson.) Mulligan is the producers' top choice; however, she is not certain to take the role. The film focuses on the future first lady and U.S. secretary of state as she vacillates between her legal career and the attentions of a young suitor Bill Clinton in the 1970s.
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Glee's Matthew Morrison talked about the show and his own sexuality. When asked if he's bothered by the misconception that he's gay, Morrison responded, "I know my own truth. I'm in a great relationship with a woman. Maybe before it used to bother me. ... Once I figured that out for myself, I thought, 'I don't care what anyone thinks about me.' That's why I think I've become an ally for the gay and lesbian community."
American Idol is looking for a new boss. Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe confirmed his exit from Fox's reality series on Twitter, admitting that he was "fired," according to Today.com . Lythgoe, who had been with the show since its debut in 2002, is also an executive producer and judge on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance; he will continue on "Dance." "Yes, don't worry I'm on #SYTYCD. FOX still loves me," he also posted. "It's not a personal thing they just feel IDOL needs new leadership after 12 Seasons."
Anderson Cooper's partner, Antoine "Benjamin" Maisini, will pitch in to open a restaurant and bar in New York City's Hell's Kitchen, according to CommercialObserver.com . Disguised under the entity Oxido Corp., Maisini and business partner Pablo Raimondi will team to open the 5,000-square-foot restaurant at 753 Ninth Ave. Maisani is the co-owner of the gay and Soviet-themed Eastern Bloc and Bedlam, two bars located in the East Village.
Acknowledging LGBT Pride Month, Billboard magazine has an article called "25 Great Gay Moments in Music." Among a few of the moments are Frank Ocean opening up about his sexuality, Adam Lambert on the show American Idol, the Against Me! singer Tommy Gabel coming out as transgender woman Laura Jane Grace, and the life of lesbian country singer Chely Wright, who is now a married mother.
The CW has announced that TV show America's Next Top Model will launch its 20th cycle Friday, Aug. 2, according to Digital Spy. The first-ever "Guys and Girls" edition of the series will start with a two-hour premiere episode, featuring male models battling it out with female hopefuls. Tyra Banks will return as host of the series, which is produced by her production company and 10 by 10 Entertainment.
Jane Lynch has announced that she and her wife, psychologist Lara Embry, are divorcing, according to Digital Spy. The Glee star married Embry in Massachusetts in June 2010 after the pair met at a fundraiser the previous year; however, the 52-year-old has now revealed that the couple have made the "difficult decision" to part ways.
Christina Ricci will star in a Lifetime movie about Lizzie Borden, the infamous spinster acquitted of hacking her father and stepmother to death, according to the New York Post. Borden was tried and acquitted of murdering her father, Andrew, and stepmother, Abby, with an axe in Fall River, Mass., in 1892. In 1975, former Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery starred as Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden on ABC.
Patrick Shriver Schwarzenegger, the 19-year-old son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, tweeted photos of his toned body and designer underwear this past weekend, Digital Spy noted. The younger Schwarzenegger was lifting weights shirtless in shorts and Calvin Klein boxers while flexing his muscles and clenching his fists. He added the caption: "Early morning pump! Who is getting into shape for summer? Gonna gain 7 pounds this summer." He will soon star in two movies, Grown Ups 2 and Dear Eleanor.
Google honored the late author Maurice Sendak with a "doodle" on its home page June 10, which would have been his 85th birthday, Advocate.com noted. Sendak was renowned for his children's books Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen, and passed away in May 2012. The doodle on the search engine's home page featured characters from some of the gay writer's most beloved stories.
Superstar Diana Ross has reportedly vowed to help goddaughter Paris Jackson following her recent suicide attempt, according to the New York Post. The legendary Supremes singer has been offering comfort to the 15-year-old's grandmother, Katherine Jackson. Michael Jackson's will stipulated that Katherine was to have custody of his three children in the event of his death, and that Ross is to be the "guardian of the persons and estates of such minor children" if Katherine ever becomes incapacitated.
Actress and fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker is launching a line of shoes with partner George Malkemus, the CEO of Manolo Blahnik, the New York Daily News noted. "In a silly way, I think it's what people have expected of me because of Carrie Bradshaw," Parker told Vogue.com, citing the shoe-obsessed character she played for six years on Sex and the City. Pumps and flats will run between $200 and $300, available exclusively at Nordstrom early next year.
Liberace's former lover, Scott Thorson, is opening up about an affair he said he had with Michael Jackson, according to the New York Daily News. "Liberace introduced me and Michael in the late 1970s," Thorson, 54, told The Sun. "It was right around the time Thriller was coming out, and Michael and I became lovers." Thorson also said Jackson joined Liberace at his compound in Palm Springs, Calif., to heal after undergoing plastic surgery at the same time.
Cinedigm's (NASDAQ: CIDM) Docurama Films has released The Life And Times Of Allen Ginsberg on DVD and digital download, according to a press release. The collector's deluxe two-disc set includes revealing interviews with the gay poet's friends, family and contemporaries and more than six hours of bonus material. The original film premiered and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival and won the IDA Award at the International Documentary Association the same year.
The National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame's board has announced its choices for the first induction class, according to a press release. Inductees include, Glenn Burke, Christina Kahrl, Renee Richards, Martina Navratilova, Greg Louganis, Billie Jean King, Jason Collins, LZ Granderson, Dr. Tom Waddell, Orlando Cruz, Andrew Goldstein, Ben Cohen, Jerry Pritikin, Chicago Cubs, Outsports.com, the International Gay Rodeo Association and Anheuser-Busch. The induction will happen, in conjunction with Out at Wrigley, Aug. 2 at Chicago's Center on Halsted.
Out actor Stephen Fry has admitted he attempted to take his own life last year but was saved by a producer who found him unconscious, the Gay News Network reported. The actor, writer and television host revealed in 2006 he is living with bipolar disorder but only opened up about his most recent suicide attempt. About what happened last year, Fry said, "I took a huge number of pills with a huge amount of vodka and the mixture of them made my body convulse so much that I broke four ribs—but I was still unconscious."
In the wake of singer/sometime Glee guest star Charice Pempengco coming out as lesbian, her mother said that she herself was once a lesbian but eventually "changed," the Huffington Post noted. Raquel Pempengco told a news network she, too, was once a lesbian but chose family over her own sexual desires after meeting the young star's father. Raquel apparently decided to speak out because of the backlash she has faced since her daughter's coming-out. Charice has said that Raquel is having difficulty accepting her lesbianism.
Actor singer and songwriter Cheyenne Jackson (Behind The Candelabra, 30 Rock, Glee) will release I'm Blue, Skies—his first full-length album of original music—on June 25. The 12-track pop-folk CD includes songs such as "Mr. Lonely Boy," "You Get Me" (featuring Charlotte Sometimes), "Back Pocket" and the title tune. The first video for the song "Don't Look At Me," co-written by Jackson and SIA, is available on Jackson's YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/cheyennejacksonmusic.
In Santa Monica, Calif., Nurse Jamie offers a "Tighten the Tackle" service at her spa, Beauty Park, according to Gay.net . The $575 non-surgical beauty procedure—which has also been called ball-ironing—"involves using lasers to remove hair, erase wrinkles, and correct discoloration on the scrotum."
The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service placed Fire Island, N.Y.,'s Cherry Grove Community House and Theater on the National Register of Historic Places, OutTraveler.com noted. The move, pushed by LGBT-supporter Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, will help preserve the community house and theater, built in 1945 and 1948, respectively. The Cherry Grove Community House and Theater (which is raising money for a $600,000 renovation) has been cited as the first U.S. venue to feature productions for gay people by gay people.
Cher has unveiled the artwork for her new single, according to Digital Spy. The singer will release 'Woman's World' as the lead cut from her upcoming 26th studio album, due out later this year. The accompanying artwork features a close-up of the iconic star's face, while she dons a silver foil wig and extended eyelashes. Cher also confirmed plans to perform on the live finale of The Voice June 18.
The new Superman movie Man of Steel is jsut opening in theaters, but Warner Bros. is already planning for a sequel, according to Rolling Stone. Henry Cavill will reprise his role as Superman, Zack Snyder will return to direct and David S. Goyer will write the sequel. Man of Steel replaces the camp of earlier incarnations with a darker tone and gritty feel as Cavill's Clark Kent, an exile from the destroyed planet Krypton, grows up struggling to find his place on Earth.
Former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Ian Ziering is currently a Chippendale's dancer in Las Vegas, according to the New York Post. Zieiring, who played Steve Sanders on the original Fox series in the '90s, recently debuted as a guest headliner with the popular male revue. Ziering, 49, said he dieted for the past three months and lost 25 pounds to get himself into shape for his new role. He will appear with the troupe through June 30.
