Sir Elton John and his partner, David Furnish, are the proud parents of a baby boy, EW.com reported. The couple welcomed Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Furnish-John was born via a surrogate in California; he weighed 7 lbs., 15 ozs. In 2009, Furnish and John tried to adopt an HIV-positive Ukrainian boy, but that country's government denied them.
Actor Hugh Jackman has been accident-prone lately. Recently, he smacked his face while performing a stunt in Australia for The Oprah Winfrey Show. Jackman's latest accident involved him getting hit in the groin while playing cricket in Australia, according to the New York Daily News. He doubled over in pain during a cricket match after a ball hit him directly in the crotch. After the match, Jackman—who did wear a cup, preventing further damage—said, "Don't wear boxer shorts when you play cricket."
Out actor Richard Chamberlain came out several years ago, but does not think that today's leading actors should do so, according to the Huffington Post. The Thorn Birds actor—currently on the ABC series Brothers and Sisters—told The Advocate that the United States has trouble accepting gay men on screen. This feeling is something shared by a fellow openly gay actor: Rupert Everett. Everett, who has been out for more than two decades, has said, "The fact is that you could not be, and still cannot be, a 25-year-old homosexual trying to make it in the British film business or the American film business or even the Italian film business."
Male model Charlie DeVoe has died after spending more than a month in a coma after a surfing accident, according to the New York Daily News. On Nov. 12, divers had to cut DeVoe, 28, free after his ankle tether was snagged on a pole; he had been in the water for several minutes. DeVoe had appeared in campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Anne Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch.
John Warhola, the brother of the late gay pop artist Andy Warhol, died on Christmas Eve of pneumonia at the age of 85, according to an Advocate.com item. Warhola, older than Warhol by three years, helped establish the Andy Warhol Museum in their hometown of Pittsburgh, Penn. Warhol died in 1987 at age 58 following gall bladder-surgery complications.
Academy Award-nominated actor Mickey Rourke has confirmed that he will play gay rugby player Gareth Thomas in an upcoming film, Advocate.com reported. When asked if he is playing a "gay rugby star," Rourke responded that it was "important" to note that he's "doing a movie about a man who plays rugby who [happens to be] gay." Rourke, who's 58, is more than 20 years older than Thomas.
Out country singer Chely Wright unveiled the LGBT facility known as the Youth Enrichment Services Lounge on the Dec. 29 episode of Nate Berkus' design show, according to Advocate.com . The episode also showed Berkus, who himself is openly gay, talking with the mother of Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old who committed suicide after being bullied. The lounge, located inside the LGBT Community Center of New York, was renamed in Walsh's honor.
Actor Neil Patrick Harris is spilling details about life with his and partner David Burtka's newborn twins, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace, according to the L.A. Times. Of fatherhood, Harris told People magazine, "Everyone says that it's such a blur after it happens. I find myself constantly just trying to wrap my mind around it." He also revealed the details of the fraternal twins' fertilization: "We inserted two eggs, one with my sperm, one with David's sperm and they both took."
Singer Chris Brown has expressed remorse over a series of N-words and homophobic rants he tweeted to former B2K singer Raz-B, according to MTV.com . Raz-B criticized Brown on Twitter while praising Rihanna, who Brown assaulted in 2009. Brown then posted, "N***a you want attention! Grow up n***a!!! Dick in da booty ass lil boy." (The last comment possibly alluded to Raz-B's allegations that his former manager molested him.) Brown has expressed remorse and even tweeted, "I love all my gay fans and this immature act is targeted at you," according to US Magazine.
At least two people have been arrested in connection with a break-in at the home of filmmaker Tyler Perry in Atlanta, according to DailyHerald.com . Kamisha Boozer, 17, and Chloe Ware, 18, have been nabbed so far; a bodyguard grabbed Ware after the intrusion and someone gave Boozer's name to authorities, although Boozer was not present at the break-in. Perry, 41, has been behind such movies as For Colored Girls and TV series like Tyler Perry's House of Payne.
Actress Michelle Williams is pleased with the oral-sex scene in the movie Blue Valentine that initially earned the film an NC-17 rating, according to Newser.com . "I thought, 'I've never seen that before in a movie and I'm proud to be the first. Good on us for making that happen,'" she said. "As the woman in the situation that was in question, I found absolutely nothing scandalous, tawdry or disgusting about it." Williams is the mother of one child by the late actor Heath Ledger, who she met on the set of Brokeback Mountain.
During an interview with BBC Radio 4, out actor Rupert Everett slammed actress Jennifer Aniston as an example of what has gone wrong with Hollywood, TheCelebrityCafe.com reported. "You'll find there's lots of women and lots of men in the business that the powers that be decide are right for their business, and they'll stand with them for quite a long time," Everett said. "OK, something will go wrong, like Jennifer Aniston will have one too many total flops, but she's still a member of that club."
Prosecutors in the case of Dr. Conrad Murray—accused of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson—say that the defense is claiming Jackson killed himself, according to Newser.com . Defense lawyers say that up to 150 milligrams of Propofol killed Jackson; Murray has said he gave the "Thriller" singer only 25 milligrams. A preliminary hearing in the case was set to begin Jan. 4.
The New York Post, in announcing Sir Elton John and partner David Furnish's adoption of son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, ran a story Dec. 29 with the headline, "Elton and wife proud dads," Advocate.com reported. The story, by David K. Li, contained no anti-gay slurs, but the headline has generated its own headlines as well as responses from bloggers and editorial writers. Gawker's Brian Moylan noted that the headline is inaccurate as well as insulting because men are civil partners in the United Kingdom and cannot get married.
Lesbian folk singer Catie Curtis has formed a strategic partnership with GayWeddings.com, the online boutique and resource for planning same-sex weddings, according to a press release. Curtis will serve as a wedding officiate and help same-sex couples design their own ceremonies. "We share with Catie the value and mission of helping gay couples celebrate their love for one another," said Kathryn Hamm, president of GayWeddings.com .
Forbes magazine has named Ellen DeGeneres the world's 10th-most powerful woman. First Lady Michelle Obama leads the pack of 100 women, while Oprah Winfrey placed third (behind Kraft Foods CEO Irene Rosenfeld). The rest of the top 10, in order, are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, Lady Gaga, Westpac CEO Gail Kelly, Beyonce Knowles and DeGeneres. Talk-show Rachel Maddow is 80th and Iceland's lesbian prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, is 80th—two spots behind talk-show host Rachael Ray.
Singer Annie Lennox and a founder of one of England's first gay soccer teams are among those on the queen's New Year Honours List, according to Advocate.com . Lennox was named an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for her activism in fighting HIV/AIDS and poverty in Africa, while Aslie Pitter helped found the Stonewall club approximately two decades ago. Lennox said, "As somewhat of a renegade, it either means I've done something terribly right—or they've done something terribly wrong."
Cabaret singer David Gurland died of a massive brain hemorrhage in New York City Dec. 29, 2010, at the age of 43, according to Playbill.com . Over the years, Gurland had earned seven MAC Award nominations, the MAC/Hanson Award, a Gay and Lesbian American Music Award nomination and four Bistro Awards. He is survived by his partner, actor Rob Maitner, among others.
