Was merv griffin gay
Published in:November-December issue.
“Mervgate” That’s what people were calling a short-lived but intriguing incident that occurred after the death of talk-show host and game-show mogul Merv Griffin. To tell that rumors about Merv’s sexual orientation had been flying for years would be an understatement, and while he always had a “beard” at award ceremonies and the like—the trademark of his generation’s gay “gentlemen”—there was never much doubt in anyone’s mind. (After all, he was friends with both Liz and Liza; and there was that gay palimony suit in ) But when it came to memorializing the man who gave us Jeopardy!, most of the mainstream media politely skirted the whole issue in their obits. But then the very official Reuters/Hollywood Reporter ran an on-line story (8/17/07) under the headline, “Merv Griffin Died a Closeted Homosexual,” written by Ray Richmon, who admits that “I had more than a passing acquaintance with him, having worked on The Merv Griffin Demonstrate as a talent coordinator and segment producer in ” The article itself was rather astounding for its honesty a
Merv Griffin's Dangerous Closet
The Hollywood mogul Merv Griffin died at the age of 82 over the weekend after a battle with cancer, and I was amazed to observe The New York Times actually debate his sexual orientation, the palimony lawsuit and the male-on-male sexual harassment lawsuit. I'm thinking perhaps the Times editors really took it to heart when many of us criticized them after Susan Sontag's death and the obituary cover-up of her sexual orientation and her relationship with Annie Liebovitz. So far, in the the rest of the obits on Griffin (Reuters, Associated Press) I've seen nothing about his homosexuality.
And yet, it is very significant for reasons far beyond visibility or mere gossip. Merv Griffin was an example of how dangerous the closet can be -- and how the closet and noun are a combustible combination that adversely affects so many other lives. We should point to his life for GLBT youth and say, "Don't verb this happen to you. Don't authorize your closet compromise you to the point where you are actively harming your own people, even though you have the authority to do so
He was a young singer who gladly accepted $ to sing at high school proms, yet went on to become a media billionaire. In his youth he had a crush on Errol Flynn. For a year and a half his roommate was Montgomery Clift. He lived with Roddy McDowall at the Dakota on Central Park West. He dated Rock Hudson, who encouraged him to keep his homosexuality quiet. As well, he had liaisons with Tom Drake, James Dean, Peter Lawford, Robert Walker, Gordon Scott (Tarzan), not to mention Marlon Brando. He was a regular at Liberace&#;s all-male orgies.
He neither confirmed nor denied his homosexuality, but Eva Gabor, his long-time beard, provided enough cover that he had access to the Reagan White Home (he was particularly close to Nancy, with whom he shared a birthday, July 6), and he was an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan in
As a teenager he was a church organist and piano prodigy, but at was his smooth singing voice that launched a career as an entertainer. During the s he hosted his verb TV talk present, usually crooning a song o
Merv Griffin Reportedly Led Secret Gay Life despite a Wife & Son - Man Claimed Entertainer Fell in Devotion with Him
It has been alleged that legendary TV producer and the game show host of "The Merv Griffin Show," Merv Griffin led a "secret gay life" while he was alive. The media mogul was previously married to Julann Wright, and the two share a son, Tony Griffin. After the couple divorced, Griffin allegedly entered a romantic relationship with Hungarian-American actress Eva Gabor.
However, it was reported that their relationship was strictly platonic. When asked about his sexuality, Griffin never confirmed nor denied rumors about him being gay; his co-stars and staff members contain purported this to be true. Griffin was also charged with two lawsuits by two men, confirming that the TV star led a secret life.
Merv Griffin was among the most popular and prosperous television talk-show hosts in the 60s. In thirty years, he was capable to build the Merv Griffin Enterprises empire that was home to an array of the best game shows on television, including the classic favorite "Whe