You know its funny, for so long I was seen as the all American blue-eyed sweet boy — that had been my image. I’m going to be 39 and up until 37 I had such a pristine reputation. And really, nobody is perfect. Because I was good at managing it so carefully, no one even knew that I had struggled with drugs and alcohol for 20 years.
Then someone leaked that I was in a 12-Step program and that I had grown a crazy mustache, shaved my head, which I had done for a role and that I had gotten a couple of tattoos…it’s funny, I still feel the need to justify.
No one had really ever said anything bad about me and that was the hardest thing. With everything that has happened over the last year and a half, all of the stuff in the press, I kind of got raked over the coals. As much as I like to pretend that it doesn’t matter, it did. I’m just like everybody else; of course I want you to like me.
I am amazed how quickly the press can turn on you. It’s especially true of the gay press at times.
Don’t get me wrong; the LGBT press has been incredibly supportive over the years. It’s just been a few snarky blogs that I have had to stay away from. Mostly because of how much it hurt my family; they have been really affected by it at times. I guess it’s like RuPaul shared with me, ‘Your opinion of me is none of my business.’”
— Talented entertainer Cheyenne Jackson referring to his sometimes unflattering portrayal on “snarky gay blogs” in an interview with Rage Monthly
tophyv
I agree with him actually. For instance, Queerty published a photo of his just today that probably wasn’t meant for public consumption.
Apparatus
Shorter version:
“Where’s my damn parade?” —Cheyenne Jackson
Also, where did I put my violin…maybe I left it at the chorus boy’s apartment.
DistingueTraces
I wouldn’t even call myself a fan, but the spite towards him around here has been weird.
ryhalvey
I say leave him alone and let him lead his life the way he wants to.
DarkZephyr
@ryhalvey: I know its none of my business but I just can’t get passed what he did to his husband. Trading him in for a younger guy. It bugs me.
Cam
That’s funny, I remember the same compliant from him a decade ago when the gay press went after him for going back in the closet and talking about a “Wife or Girlfriend” in interviews when he finally got a movie.
So basically he’s been giving the exact same complaints for a decade.
hephaestion
Well Queerty certainly seemed to turn on him, but I wouldn’t worry about Queerty. They made so many mistakes it’s amazing, amd they never ever correct them.
Hang in there, Cheyenne! People are fickle but you have a ton of talent and they’ll realize how silly they’ve been soon enough.
NG22
I normally don’t comment on Cheyenne stories because the content and comments are DISASTERS, but I read this, and I could feel the emotion behind it. It sounds genuine to me. He’s right. I was so happy for him when he got on “30 Rock” and tracked/hoped for the best in his career. He got married and I was thrilled. But I’ve been judging him over the past 18 months. I’ve been looking down on him. But after this…
Cheyenne: I’m ready to take you back!!!
I usually hate celebrity sympathizers, so I don’t blame you for hating me, but I just feel bad. And I get how he’s feeling. Even when you make mistakes in life (I just judged him again), what sucks even more than the…decision…is when everyone tells you just how much you fucked up. How you’re a real idiot. A royal fucking moron. I know what that feels like, and I know he ain’t reading this “snarky blog,” but I want him to know my support for him is restored. He might be a mess (I did it again), but we all go through something in life. It’s hard to get through this journey without getting our hands a little dirty.
Something I like about smart, evolved, feminist women that I’d like to see more of among gay men is support among our ranks. Ask Sarah Jessica Parker. Don’t tear down or speak ill of another woman. It should all be about support. We’re an even smaller community. Maybe we should try to be like that. I’d hate for Cheyenne to relapse because he feels like the world (and his community) hates him. I’m not saying that’d happen, but as I said, we all go through something.
John Harkin
Leaked that he was in a 12 step program? The Ny Post said he showed up drink/high wearing a speedo at Michael McDonald’s pool party in WeHo. He was sporting a huge mess of a tattoo with the AA Slogan Life on Life’s Term’s and was telling other party goers he met his new boyfriend in AA, all while he was still married? This guy is a delusional and he wants us to feel sorry for him because the Gay Press has turned on him. Self absorbed does not even begin to describe this guy.
NG22
BTW, never heard that RuPaul quote before, but I love it. It’s fantastic. Ru is a god among us, and I really should now down more.
Tackle
@hephaestion: Yes he does have a ton of talent. But if he keeps up the crazy antics ,they will always outshine/ override “anyone” with true talent. Sensationalism sells or make more headlines then someone’s talent. Unfortunately. ..
Zekester
If he doesn’t know the difference between “blogs” and “the press” he’s in for a world of unhappiness and disappointment.
hotboyvb81
You make a jerk off tape saying how lonely you are one day then get engaged a little while later- people are going to talk!
hivgay_com
There is always discrimination on gays, especially on HIV Gays. As a result, most of them have to go to sites like HIVGays.com
sejjo
Celebrities are people too you know!!
james_in_cambridge
Actually the gay press just found out what we all did, that Cheynne is more than a little disturbed and quite off-putting. That’s Cheynne’s fault, since he showed everyone the real him and everyone is now turned off. I loved him after seeing him on “30 Rock” but I now realize that was the result of Tina Fey’s brilliant writing and not Cheynne’s personality. I’m not really surprised because Mrs. Fey also made the despicable Lindsay Lohan rather charming in “Mean Girls”.
John Harkin
@james_in_cambridge: Have to agree James. Nobody turned on him . Like Loham, Cheyenne was an out of control mess for 6 months. It looks like he’s getting his act together. Here’s hoping he can keep it up ( no pun intended)
robirob
All public images are pretty much fake. It takes PR handlers, managers and the celeb with the fake public image to be a united front and squash all kinds of reports from the media sources that threaten the fake facade.
Cheyenne, his manager and PR handlers no longer have that pull to dictate what the public finds out about him. Mainly because Cheyenne is reckless and damages his own images.
Cam
@james_in_cambridge:
That’s a great point James, it was like when Tom Cruise showed everybody how weird he is.
IJelly
It was his divorce from Monty Lapka, no the rehab, that made people change their minds about Cheyenne Jackson.
The tattoos, the sex tape, the drinking, and most of all the trashy new boyfriend who showed up not 2 seconds after the ink dried on the divorce papers, gave the very strong impression that Jackson wasn’t the sweet guy that the press had made him out to be.
sportyguy1983
Cry me a river. When you live by the sword, you die by the sword. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Spike
@John Harkin: If I had a dollar for every gay guy that has shown up drunk/high at a Weho pool party wearing a speedo.
Seriously?
misterhollywood
I do not think the GLBT press turned on him. My sense is he is going through a lot of changes right now and misplacing some of his frustrations. He probably would do well not to complain and instead show gratitude.
Spike
Snarky blog = Queerty
imperator
@Tackle: “Yes he does have a ton of talent. But if he keeps up the crazy antics ,they will always outshine/ override “anyone” with true talent. Sensationalism sells or make more headlines then someone’s talent. Unfortunately.”
Fortune and misfortune and chance have nothing to do with it, though, the choice of the rabble to be distracted by such things is exactly that– a choice. Not everyone cares if someone who’s talented also leads a chaotic personal life and nobody *has* to care, it’s a decision that people make, to obsess over the private goings-on of ‘public’ figures and to side with them or turn against them based on the absurd expectation that just because they work in- say- entertainment that they must be somehow different from the rest of us and held up to some ‘other’ moral standard different from the far more forgiving one to which we hold ourselves and those close to us.
But artistic talent doesn’t correlate with worthiness as a role-model. That’s one of the biggest derangements of our culture– that people look “up” to those who are famous and rich and assume that makes them admirable, and then act all betrayed and outraged when they act like normal people. It doesn’t make them admirable, though, it just makes them normal people who got famous and rich (which, in fact, often makes people act *less* moral because money corrupts social values).
So it’s not like this is inevitable. Those who judge are implicated because they’re the ones creating the culture that obsesses over celebrity, and they could stop if they chose to.
barkomatic
I’m glad the mistakes in my life are scrutinized in a public way. Then again, if I made bank I think I could handle a few nasty headlines.
admod
I agree with what he quoted from RuPaul- It is for that very reason that there are family members I have not spoken to in many years, or people I don’t associate with anymore, because I don’t need the negative in my life, and if they want to bad mouth and hate me they can do it from a distance, I just don’t have to be there to hear about it.
B Damion
Hhhhhhh…girl bye!
Matt G
maybe he got the new man because his old one wasn’t good for his sobriety? Who knows, not really my business
The real question here is…. Lindsay Lohan does a movie with Tina Fey, becomes a hot mess addict. Cheyenne Jackson does 30 Rock with Tina Fey, he becomes a hot mess addict. The only conclusion? Tina Fey is a pusher. Like a drug pusher.
james_in_cambridge
@Matt G: LOL…as good a theory as any, I suppose. Though nothing could make me hate Tina Fey, even if she was pushing drugs on pre-schoolers.
SteveDenver
PRIVACY and PUBLICITY are not easily controlled, and it’s boring hearing someone whine that they want lots of both on their terms.
STOP thinking of your phone as a good way to send jackoff clips to whomever when you’re wasted. The phone and the internet are not good ways to transmit ANY PICTURE YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO SEE IN PRINT OR ONLINE.
Polaro
Ah, the bitter, snarky delusional crowd is out in force on this one. As expected.
mcflyer54
@NG22: Jackson might have heard the quote from RuPaul but it wasn’t original. The quote has been around for decades and is even the title of a book published in 1988.
mcflyer54
@Matt G: yeah, and look at what’s happened to Alec Baldwin.
mcflyer54
I’ve always believed that you have no right to be disappointed when someone who fails to live up to your expectations. You should be disappointed in yourself for thinking you had the right to set standards for someone else. Or because you were such are poor judge of character in the first place. I’ve been a long time fan of Cheyenne’s talent, his personal life has never been my concern.
John Harkin
What are you talking about? Jackson tweets or instagrams every aspect odf his personal life. He then complains when people comment on it. But, the guy is crazy so what do you all expect. Classic case of oversharing and narcissistic behavior. He seems overall better, maybe they ‘ve adjusted his dose of medication.