On May 5, with the handholding of uber-gay publicist Howard Bragman, a celebrity is expected to follow Ricky Martin out of the closet. This person is already booked for a People exclusive, says Zap2It‘s report, with a string of talk show appearances afterward, including The View (and then probably Joy Behar’s show, ’cause that seems fitting). Which begs the question: Who’s it gonna be?
That there’s such a concrete timeline and strategy in place is evidence this is a well-planned, long-thought-about unveiling. But while the mind swirls about who the soon-to-be out star is going to be — Queen Latifah? Ryan Seacrest? Michelle Rodriguez? — it must be noted that this celeb isn’t just coming out, he or she is going on a Coming Out Tour.
Which has us thinking all three of those possibilities are DOA; we can’t imagine any of them taking their sexuality on the talk show circuit. When and if a star of their caliber comes out, we imagine it’ll come in an unrelated interview — Queen Latifah will just casually mention she lives with her partner.
So will this person be young or old? Male or female? A-list or — gasp — C-list?
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Meanwhile, Bragman is the maestro behind Sheryl Swoops, Meredith Baxter, and John Amaechi coming out as gay, and Chaz Bono’s transitioning announcement. He’s also the guy representing Prop 8 supporter and hotelier Doug Manchester, trying to get the gays to love his hotels again. He’s a pro at easing gay celebs into this new territory, and he’s handsomely rewarded for it. And he is the one pushing the story, revealing at the GLAAD Media Awards that he’s got a new candidate that’s just two weeks away from swishing it up.
Devon
*Fingers crossed*
Taylor Lautner…
Nickadoo
My prediction: It’ll be another “big fat whoopdee doo.” It’s gonna be Johnny Weir. He’s got a book coming out, he’s repped by Bragman, and he’s already started doing the gay circuit without officially coming out.
Michael W.
Nick Jonas.
wannabegay
isnt queen latifah out?!
Geoff M
Tom Cruise? (Just askin Tom…don’t sue me)
Satsuma
@wannabegay: I thought she was too!
t-bone
andy cooper seems likely…he’d know how to do the media blitz the best.
also Michelle Rodriguez is out already…right?
Mo
It’s probably Kathy Griffin. This kind of “media blitz” has her name written all over it. Gotta think up something new for season 12 of The D list.
Matt Baume
I am really looking forward to the day that celebrities do not get treated like they cured their own cancer just because they finally had the nerve to do what the rest of us fags have been doing for decades.
Jeremyrh2387
Oprah
jeffree
Secret hope: Taylor Lautner
Worst fear: Larry King (lol–7 divorces already!?) or Rush Limbaugh (yuck!)
Best guess: Johnny Weir
Stay tuned. enquiring minds want to know….
Chris
Johnny Weir [2]
Marc
Johnny Weir isn’t Hollywood celebrity.
FreddyMertz
Vinn Diesel?
Lamar
I just hope its not someone blatantly gay to begin with like the guy who plays Mark in Ugly Betty or Johnny Weir. I have a massive hunch it is Johnny Weir though. I hope the person isn’t female either because the more males come out the quicker it becomes acceptable in society; there is a lot more pressure for men to stay in the closet today than women.
j
Nice guesses you guys but you’re well off.
One word: Obama. 😛
Lamar
@j: Obama?, more like Oh please!lol.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Johnny qWeir actually somewhat came out on Chelsea Handler’s show……..she said “you being a Gay” to him and he didn’t deny it……………..
As to the big reveal on May 5th: Stewie Griffith!!!! :-p
Dude
John Travolta!!!
Kieran
Fox New’s Shepherd Smith.
Matt
Well, Prince of Persia is out later in the month.
beto
A latin star again? (because it’s Cinco de Mayo folks). Dunno, hope, my gut goes to… oh whatever! whoever is, welcome to the bandwagon
james_cambridge
It’s gonna be Jesus…the well-manicured beard, the never being seen with chicks except for his mother, always in “meetings” with the 12 Apostles, the cock ring…we already knew. Old story!!
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/resources/2008/03/chadrickgayjesus.jpg
Ricky
It is May 5th so I wonder if there is something to it being that day. Like someone mentioned.. a latin celebrity..
Ill go with Mario Lopez?
ok maybe thats more wishful thinking..
😉
Jeremy
Here’s what I think:
-Most likely will be an athletic, that’s Bragman’s forte.
-He’s already in a glass closet, otherwise why would he set a date to come out.
-He has something to promote, Book? DWTS? American Idol?
My wish? Even Lysacek. My bet? Johnny Weir (with underline).
Cam
And I hope that Hollywood doesn’t chicken out and stop casting them. If their career got BETTER, that would be the push to get a lot more of the younger celebs out of the closet.
hephaestion
Maybe Fox News’ Bill Hemmer. And he’ll tell tales of sleeping with Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch… And he’ll be wearing a wet t-shirt…
Cam
No. 25 · Jeremy said….
My wish? Even Lysacek. My bet? Johnny Weir (with underline).
___________________
I think you nailed it, Weir has a book coming out I’ve heard.
Erv
Anderson Cooper.
Yowsa
If it’s Weir why bother?
terrwill
I think it’s going to be someone C-list because if they are “going on tour” they need the press. So not Oprah, not Queen Latifah, not Jake Gyllenhaal (or however you spell his name) not even Zac Efron. And definitely not the Cruiser. This is going to take some research…
JonathanHasHasIt
Wait a second, did I read this right?
He’s also the guy representing Prop 8 supporter and hotelier Doug Manchester, trying to get the gays to love his hotels again.
So this money-grubbing gay publicist Bragman is washing up the sins of gay-hater Doug Manchester? And trying to get us to go back to his hotels? Disgusting.
People, wake up! Who cares about his carefully-planned media blitz for another mediocre celebrity. Look at what he’s doing with losers such as Manchester and laughing all the way to the bank.
Jason
Sarah Palin?!?!?!
MissGluteusMaximus
Betty White?
beto
@Ricky: Oh my! We all wish!!! Or at least some of us…
beto
@MissGluteusMaximus: LMAO!
Nick
My educated/logical guess: Johnny Weir.
My wishful/hopeful guess: Matt Bomer.
My long shot/darkhorse guess: Jake Gyllenhaal.
I really wish it was Matt Bomer, though. He is in the best position to come out and strike one of the most devistating blows against heterosexism in this country. As the lead on a “guy-centric” show, Mr. Bomer could show that an openly gay actor can play a (masculine) straight role convincingly and still command a large straight fanbase-with straight guys admiring him (without feeling that their sexuality is threatened) and straight girls swooning over him. Although we in the gay community already know that a gay actor can play a straight role just as well as a straight actor, “Middle-America” still needs to be convinced of this and his coming out could just do that. Alas, though, now that I re-read this post, I don’t think he’s represented by Mr. Bragman so maybe he should be my darkhorse.
J
enrique
Freddie
Kevin Spacey, please!
OMG
Probably a nobody or someone whose career has been long over.
Jon
More importantly why the heck is Queerty doing this to us. JUST TELL US IF U KNOW SOMETHING! That’s the point of a news blog!
ossurworld
Forty-two saps have bought into this non-story. Including me.
Marcus
I’m instincts are telling me Lautner, Cooper or Weir–and I’m not sure why…but the story seemed to suggest action…Diesel?
That said, Queen Latifah is an overdue book–I heard murmurs that she was considering it and getting it over with. It’s not like she’s fooling anybody
I work in Hollywood–and I’m stumped. I just hope it’s not some 80s sitcom star looking for another 15 minutes.
egoiste
Cinco de Mayo is specifically Mexican, so I see no reason why a generic “Latin” actor would come out on that day. Mario Lopez is of Mexican descent. Ojala!
Sam
@Matt: I am SOOO hoping! Come on out, Toothy!
Rob
Elton John. Don’t know why, but I have a feeling he might be gay. 😉
No, honestly: it must be someone who is either a HUGE star (5 minutes in what is going to be one of the last episodes of “The Bonnie Hunt Show” is not what he/ she is doing it for, obviously) or someone who has sunk so low, that this kind of media attention is just what might bring him/ her back to the spotlights.
Of course, I hope the first… But I fear it’s going to be the latter. 🙁 So start digging in that great heap of all those forgotten tv personalities, pushed-aside film celebrities, and never heard from again popstars, I’m afraid. 🙁
Carl
Spencer Pratt
Blake J
@Lamar:
Michael Urie, a.k.a. Ugly Betty’s Marc, has been out for quite a while.
Nathan
I think it will be Anderson Cooper. Even if Lautner is gay, I highly doubt he would come out in this way.
Charlie Jackpot
Kenny Chesney? was his Oprah showing testing the waters?
Lucky Luke
Alanis Morissette (my drunk friend told me to post it)LOL
Hoping for Toothy Tile
drewbrown
If this is about Johnny Weir, I will be so annoyed. Johnny Weir is so obviously gay that “coming out” doesn’t even apply. It’s just a given. For their sake, Bragman’s team better have someone a lot more surprising or unlikely up their sleeve if they’re hoping for a big media splash. Don’t get me wrong, I love Johnny Weir but puh-lease… perhaps next, they can help Beyonce announce that, in fact, she is black, just as everyone has always known.
oic
Johnny Weir already “came out” on Chelsea. He never said “I’m gay” but she kept calling him a queen and bringing up him being gay and he never stopped her or corrected her… He went along with everything and they joked about him being into Russian men.
I hope it’s not another nobody.
oic
Also hoping for Toothy btw. He has a movie coming out, perfect timing!
james_cambridge
Why does Johnny Weir need to come out? A deaf-mute from the Andromeda Galaxy can tell he’s a homo.
LEW
Evan Lysacek
djm
do ya wanna know who it is?
it’s Travolta. yep, it’s gonna be huge
Perky
Laurence Fishburne?
I know that is out of left field, but maybe he feels like it’s time to get it public and over with. Now that he’s on CSI, he’s a bit more in the public eye. Could be some gossip mag is about to out him.
Perky
Oh, besides Fishburne, it could be Robert Downey, Jr.
anna
I’m hoping Michelle Rodriguez. She’s not quite a household name yet, so she could use the publicity, but she has a good career going (Avatar anyone?) and she could be the first openly gay actress to have a good mainstream career instead of just indies at the San Francisco Film Festival.
Kyle
Given that a “Coming Out Tour” sounds incredibly stupid, I am betting that the person is hardly a celebrity. It’s probably Gallagher or Carrot Top.
D'oh, The Magnificent
Yeah, “coming out tour” is dead give away to D-list. I think C-list is too kind to whoever is doing a tour.
I am happy they are coming out. Whoever they are. But come- that’s a lot of drama.
D'oh, The Magnificent
@Blake J: Urie just came out this year.
Josh Appelbaum
It’s totally JC Chasez – he’s C-List approaching D-List and notoriously gay.
Marcus
@Josh Appelbaum:
Funny, if it’s him, then it kind of outs Chace Crawford in the process.
Dan G
Johnny Weir was just at the GLAAD awards speaking about the help GLAAD has given him. I don’t think anyone can really say he’s not out yet.
OnCloud9
Danny Devito.
Tim
Zach Galifianakis and/or Seth Rogen. 🙂
scott ny'er
@Marcus: nah. Chase would just be his good friend. A gay dude can have a straight friend, right?
Marcus
@scott ny’er:
Absolutely!
And that would totally be the case–if Chace was straight.
Kieran
I have a feeling its going to be Betty White.
Ed
Its Ryan Seacrest. He’s just enough of a fame whore to do the tour and he’ll have nothing to do after the end of May plus he’s quitting one of his other jobs.
Shannon
I’d think if it was Johnny (which, why would he bother anyway, everyone will just bitch at him for 1)waiting so long and 2) stating the obvious) he’d wait until a lot closer to his book release, which isn’t until January.
JasonB
Johnny Weir’s book isn’t coming out until Jan 2011.
hephaestion
Abe Vigoda. It’s gotta be Abe Vigoda.
Linda Fratianne
Adam Cuculich
Kezbo
If Kelly Clarkson wasn’t selling smokes in Asia….
Superman
The largest “pink elephant” left in the room?
Barry Manilow.
[email protected]
I read about this late last year in an article by the LA Weekly and I recall Howard Bragman, the publicist, say that he had a MUSICIAN who was going to come out this year.
So Weir and Cooper and Gyllenhaal, it can’t be. Technically Queen Latifah is a musician, or rather a rapper and singer. But I think its a male singer like Kenny Chesney.
Here is the article: http://www.laweekly.com/2009-10-08/news/the-secret-lives-of-queer-leading-men/2
where it says on page 2: “He’s currently working with a famous musician who’s still closeted from the public, but who will come out next year.”
Did anyone else read this, that it would be a musician? Hopefully this is the same person Howard was talking about, meaning the musician still wants to go through with it and come out.
Drew
We are all hoping it to be our boy, Tay Tay but unfortunatley, I think it’s going to be someone from the 80’s TV sitcom era. Which might be Will Smith. A 3rd would be Anderson Cooper but we all know he is on our team already. I really hope it’s our Tay Tay!!! Keeping fingers crossed but it could publicly ruin his career if he came out this soon. We should add a National holiday to our calendar now: May 5th is Gay Day!!!
brihova
My guess is Maxwell……. and it’s been a long time coming.
Praise GODNEY!!!!
Megan
Taylor Lautner? He’s legal now. And that Twilight movie will be being promoted around then.
Megan
I’ve changed my mind. It’s Johnny Weir. Probably. I want it to be someone out of left field, though.
Alix
@ 21 OK, Please be Jake.
HA
Sera
@72 Ed. Well, AI’s finale is on May 5th… But I really doubt it.
Woody
maybe Kid Rock?
Cam
Ugh, it’s totally going to be some has-been. It will be like when David Hyde Pierce came out. It’s probably somebody from the cast of the “Love Boat” or one of the Brady Kids.
Dave
Wentworth Miller or Matt Bomer
Skipp
I hope it’s not Anderson Cooper. I doubt he would come out in such a tacky way. And what would he do “on tour”? Stand on stage and re-announce he’s gay?
My bet is 50 Cent. Rufus called it, there’s a reference on 1 Girl 5 Gays (and it’s blog making the connection to Rufus’ comment), and THAT would be worthy of press and a “Coming Out Tour”.
I doubt it's Taylor
My guess is that it isn’t Taylor, he would surely be able to get a higher profile magazine to do it in (I mean Adam Lambert managed to get Rolling bloody Stone.)
I’d imagine it’s going to be someone thoroughly underwhelming.
Though the media tour doesn’t necessarily rule out someone higher up the list. They may need to do it to help soften the blow to the public. If he/she can put on a sad face etc…
MakeItNotBeTrue
Kim Kardashian.
Drew
Hey boys and girlz, just found out who it is and no, it’s not our Tay Tay 🙁
It’s only Kenny Chesney. After his coming out announcment, he will be talking about his ‘coming out’ tour he’s starting. Ricky Martin’s ‘coming out’ was much more exciting than this will be.
lispe
Will that out Bradley Cooper? Making Renee Z a beard for hire?
newborn
MADONNA! she does copy everything what ricky is saying or doing.
also she always needs such kind of publicity.
Sam
@[email protected]: I don’t know… already this year, two musicians have come out – Ricky Martin and Jennifer Knapp. Are they represented by this publicist? I actually remembered reading that article when Ricky came out and thinking that must have been a reference to him. But maybe not.
If Kenny Chesney came out, that would make 2010 an amazing year for gay visibility in hostile cultures. Ricky Martin gave Latinos and Latinas a gay role model, Jennifer Knapp did the same for evangelical Christians, and if Kenny Chesney did the same for notoriously conservative country music fans… man, what a game-changer. I really hope it’s him and not Anderson Cooper (duh), Johnny Weir (double duh), or Jake Gyllenhaal (yet another cute white guy… not that I’m complaining or anything).
Natasha
It’s 50 Cent.
T.D.
I’m betting it’s Chris Brown for the following reasons:
-As stated in that article it might be a well-known, famous musician, and he is famous of course.
-2009 was a big year for him with the Rihanna incident (maybe there was something more to that incident like she found about his sexuality or something) and the poorly-reviewed recent album (needs some sort of way to bounce back from that aka coming out!).
-His birthday is on May 5.
-As Sam said this would be a year for the “coming out in hostile cultures.” Many African-Americans are not accepting of homosexuality, so if he comes out he could be this “vessel” to acceptance.
jason
So long as it’s not some Tila Tequila-type female who is merely using her sexuality as a marketing ploy to appeal to men who crap on our rights, I’ll be happy.
Lance
I hope it’s a he and that he’s young. At least not over 30. We need more young openly- gay celebrities.
… Justin Bieber? *gets shot*
Alice
While Jake Gyllenhaal, Vin Diesel, Kevin Spacey, Taylor Lautner, etc. would be nice. Sadly its probably going to be some D-lister who already had his/her 15 minutes ten years ago. And its a dead give away that its a musician too, not an actor. I mean a “tour”. What does that even mean.
SSCHIEFRSHA
Tom Cruise? Taylor Lautner? 50 Cent? Kid Rock? Vin Diesel? Bradley Cooper? Gyllenhaal? Chris Brown? Chesney? Seth Rogen? You are all obviously not in Kansas anymore. These are all stars in their prime and no amount of integrity will induce them to make such a giant leap and loose their bankability. Sad but true! You’d do better to look to someone whose star has dimmed lately.
CONVERSATION CHAMBER
Cross 50 Cent, Taylor Lautner and Chris Brown off the list. I don’t anticipate any of them being gay anyway, but even if they were — I just can’t see any of them having professional camps who would encourage this.
TL is too early into his career; he’s too marketed to little girls, and you can tell that they are priming him for romantic/heroic leading man status. Announcing that he was gay would completely contradict the way he’s being groomed. Chris Brown’s fanbase (ironically) consists of mostly teenage girls. While he desperately needs another headline to divert attention away from his image of being Ike to Rihanna’s Tina…him announcing he’s gay would only be junkfood fix. Once the gasps stopped and the dust settled, his career would be even weaker than it is now, with him being shut out of his core market.
Tom Cruise is another no. If he doesn’t take his homosexuality to the grave with him, he won’t admit it until he’s a very old man, and is semi-retired.
Anderson Cooper and Kenny Chesney are safer bets, although it would be a bit anti-climactic, since they’ve been so speculated about that the public has pretty much resolved their alleged homosexuality being probably true, even if not officially confirmed.
Kate Kane
Lindsay Lohan. She’s only got one foot out of the closet ‘I’ll go back to boys! I swear! Sam is the only girl I’ve ever been with and ever will be with!’is all bs. Also, part of the ‘media tour’ is going on The View and Barbara Walters likes her. Also, her fashion lines has expanded to 500 (yes 500) stores now so she has some security behind her if there is any sort of backlash. I think that’s part of the reason she’s been so unstable in recent months. Now that she and Sam are completely dunzo and after that stupid interview with the Sun where she tried to present as completely straight bar Samantha – she dug herself a hole doing that. I think that deep down she wants to be fully out and with increasing speculation about possible mental illness with her – I’m sure she’d be glad to escape the Anne Heche label because in truth I think she may be more like Jenny Schecter – a mentally-ill lesbian.
Frankk
A tour could mean a lot of things. It could mean making speeches at various colleges about coming out of the closet, it could mean a book tour, a music tour, a comedy tour, a ice skating tour
I just really hope it’s not Johnny Weir.
Taryl
@T.D.: Wow, you’re naive. Chris Brown coming out would NOT create a vessel of acceptance amongst African Americans as far as homosexuality goes. He’s not that powerful. He’s not even that popular anymore. If anything, all it would do is further alienate him from the audience he once had, and limit him to basically playing for the Noah’s Arch circuit. Hate to sound negative, but Brown coming out would be career suicide for him. Literally the final nail.
AJ
Well according to blindgossip.com the celebrity is a woman.
http://blindgossip.com/?p=17456#more-17456
So that rules out Johnny Weir of course.
Chris
Congrats. Matt Bomer is very openly gay!
SodIsle
Morrissey
Lucille
Keep seeing conflicting studff whether male or female, but my first guess is Brendan Fraser. Action hero comment….The Mummy. Second, Elijah Wood.
lola
My guesses are:
1. Kevin Spacey
2. Keanu Reeves
3. Jake Gyllenhaal
4. Gerard Butler
5. Robert Pattinson
6. Viggo Mortensen
7. Leonardo DiCaprio
8. Jim Carey
9. George Clooney
Rudy
I don’t think it’s Anderson Cooper. For his job he has to travel to several third world and Islamic countries where homosexuality is illegal. His being out could prevent him from entering those countries and even endanger his life if he’s there.
nevadakub
How bout Missy Elliot?
James
Whoopi is my best guess seeing as shes gunna be there and I’ve always had a feeling about that one.
If not her then im going with trovolta
chris
KSTEW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok it prolly won’t be her, but she should really come out sometime this year. Or when all the Twilight bullshit ends.
ossurworld
Cinco de Mayo indicates a Latino. May 1st indicates a communist.
Lanjier
Jodi Foster.
Silas Kain
My educated/logical guess: Anderson Cooper.
My wishful/hopeful guess: Patrick Kennedy.
My long shot/darkhorse guess: Charlie Crist.
Joey Mucelli
With another “Twilight” sequal yet to come Lautner wouldn’t reveal something like this and Evan Lysacek is in the middle of compatition with ‘DWTS’ where he need the female vote to win. Anderson Cooper is a logical guess. (Though Mario Lopez would be exciting!)
brian
guys its already known It is Carlos Mencias. do some research
Devon
I think it’s Chelsea Handler. Her “bff” is Jenny McCarthy whom she had just split with Jim Carrey recently. Likewise, Chelsea HAndler recently split with her boyfriend. My guess is, Chelsea Handler will come out and later pics will be revealed with her and Jenny McCarthy as lovers.
Pia
Jon Knight of new kids on the block.
Phillip
@Megan: Many come out while they’re minors. “The NY Times Magazine” recently printed a great story on coming out in middle school. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html
nikki
um…Anderson Cooper? Larry Birkhead? it has to be someone irrelevant. trying to inflate their celebrity status.
hephaestion
It’s May 5. So who is the gay celebrity that’s coming out today?
And don’t say that country singer no one ever heard of. She “came out” on May 3rd.
ossurworld
May 5th of what year?
jennifer stewart
i think it will be the guy who played in the transporter movies jason stathem i may be wrong but i don’t know bye see ya or taylor lautner as well bye