Although Fox News anchor Shepard Smith is still regularly featured in the likes of OUT’s “Power 50” issue, he’s never officially addressed his homosexuality — until now.
In a new Huffington Post interview, Smith claims that former Fox Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes never used homophobic slurs in his presence.
Related: Fox News’ Shepard Smith Hooks Up With 26-Year-Old Production Assistant
“No, never,” he says. “He treated me with respect, just respect.”
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“I wasn’t new in the business when I came here. I’d been doing reporting for 12 years, but I wasn’t old in it either, and he gave me every opportunity in the world and he never asked anything of me but that we get it right, try to get it right every day. It was a very warm and loving and comfortable place.”
Related: Fox News Anchor Shepard Smith Is Probably Gay, Definitely (Allegedly) A Douche
Elsewhere in the interview, he states the stories about Roger Ailes preventing him from coming out are “not true.”
“He was as nice as he could be to me,” he says. “I loved him like a father.”
“I trusted him with my career and with — I trusted him and trusts were betrayed…. This place has its enemies, but inside, it was very personal, and very scarring and horrifying.”
In further news, Smith can apparently become quite irate when waitresses are too slow in serving him a cocktail.
h/t: Towleroad
Lindoro Almaviva
Given the fact that Roger could not grab him by the pussy, anyone surprised?
DistingueTraces
Who could have predicted this astonishing turn of events?
trusgold
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IF HE LIKES FOX OR NOT
AxelDC
Sure, Roger Ailes treated him like any abusive homophobic father would treat his queer son.
Fortunately for Smith, he never had Ailes try to grab his butt like his female co-workers.
CWM85
Shep and kelly are like the more lberal on fox news and shep has always seemed a bit slanted on gay issues… nines year sftet they both were featured in out magazine as gsy Cooper and Smith now are out… still waiting on queen latifah…
Eye of the Beholder
“I loved him like a father.”
“I trusted him with my career and with — I trusted him and trusts were betrayed…. This place has its enemies, but inside, it was very personal, and very scarring and horrifying.”
I can’t make heads or tails out of this article.
Maude
@Lindoro Almaviva: Ever hear of a ‘pussyass’?
Maude
@DistingueTraces: LOL X 100!
Mo Bro
@Lindoro Almaviva:
@AxelDC:
Here Queerty writes a nice little article about Smith acknowledging he’s one of us and all you nasty harpies can do is treat him like a pariah because of his employer. Whatever happened to encouragement and support? Or does that only apply to employees of establishment of which you approve?
You boys be ign’ant.
Bob LaBlah
Oh who gives a shit?
NateOcean
“I loved him like a father.”
So it was a daddy short of thing?
Stilinski26
So he was treated equally as other employees and wasn’t discriminated for being gay thats good but it seems like writers on this site really wished he was mistreated just to make statement.
He BGB
Isn’t working for fox news like working for the enemy? What is scarring and horrifying ? I’ve known he was gay for a decade or more but don’t understand any of this.
Mick406
Did you ever notice how many TV news anchors are declaring their homosexuality?
Just my personal thoughts here. I think gay people have extraordinary talents and are very expressive. In fact, I think they NEED outlets to express their art and talents. Look at how many musicians, artists, actors, TV personalities, book writers, etc., are gay.
I once anchored a nightly newscast for ABC in my home state. I am sort of “bi”. I found out that 3 out of the 5 people who were on-air with me were gay, but concealed it. I too am very “artsy”. I play piano, act on stage, am a public singer, acted as Master of Ceremonies at many public events, performed on TV telethons, can paint artwork, I built my own home, I farm, I can do electrical and plumbing work, and I was an expert athlete, especially in basketball. I could also fight! There was nothing wimpy about me. I did not fit the mold of someone who could have homo sex experiences. I have concealed it all my life.
The point is, most of us who have gay tendencies also have a very strong need for an artistic outlet. I know myself, I was never satisfied until I did as many things as I could, both public and in private. I also own two businesses. I’m getting up in years and yet I haven’t slowed down. All this ‘energy’ must come part and parcel with being gay oriented.
Kieran
Gay people are probably the only oppressed group in the world that have to deal with animosity and disdain from both people that hate them and from people that are gay themselves. No wonder so many public figures just opt to stay closeted.
Chris
So which is the news item:
That Shepard Smith is gay; or,
That he, a man whose job is at Fox News, admires Roger Ailes?
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
@Kieran: You’re right about straights and gays hating gays – although in spite of that, you should still come out regardless of the hate. But you are absolutely right about gays hating gays. The gay bashing articles on this site and every gay site I frequent receives the fewest comments and reactions all the time and have since I started frequenting gay forums whichs has been 10+ years. Most of the time, a majority of the posters blame the victim – despite a few bad apples that have faked gay bashings. There are many gay people who believe Matthew Shepard is a pos. One poster here or somewhere else said they even contacted Matthew’s mother and told her what a pos her son was. How’s that? Pretty scary and psychotic if you ask me. And, in my opinion, a good many gay people supported the Orlando massacre – they remained silent of course, but logic and history tells you they’re out there. That’s why there is such apathy and indifference towards Muslims by the gay movement – it is a mixture of hate for gays, but also of fear and this fantastical belief they gays are Muslims are oppressed “minorities”. Gays are, Muslims are not and they want nothing to do with us. But, that hate gays have for other gays is very strong and entrenched in the gay community – sadly. But, regardless of that, you should still come out. There are great gay people out there.
WMLA04
@Mick406: Mick406 sounds really hot! Are you single?
Lou
I have a warped sense of humor…and a little bit in the gutter also. I think that you should have selected a better picture of Shepherd Smith rather than the one where his lips look like something rather sexual akin to this article..or maybe that selection was intended. Just Sayin’
girldownunder
Gosh! He’s all snuggly with daddy Roger (who can’t grope on him what isn’t there) & then tosses his assaulted co-workers under the bus to stay in daddy’s good favor….
As if that wasn’t enough, he’s a douchbag to waitresses, too– What a guy!
Kind of don’t want him associated with the LGBTI community, actually.
icntblvit
I still don’t like him.
o.codone
He was always the highest paid of all of them. $7 mil when the others were getting $4-5 mil. Roger loved him like a son. hahahahaa.
Sukhrajah
Congratulations to Shep Smith, and welcome to being an out, gay man.
Here’s to hoping that you find more love, success, acceptance, happiness and good health in being out and proud.
You worked for a company that did a terrible job representing, abusing and villifying the entire LGBTQ community, in an effort to drump up sales with an increasingly ignorant community. This is why some of the hate, towards you – is present.
Make amends if you can, or perhaps keep that journalistic eye and work for an organization that better represents your own voice. That said, as someone that was stunned by how charming, warm and kind you are in person; it’s great to see that you now have a few reasons to breathe easier, and smile brighter. Join the ranks, we’re a warm and welcoming bunch ourselves. You’ll find a home here – I just ask that you help us protect it, and not hurt it, as your former employer has done so well, in the past.
To future, and forward.
Mo Bro
@Sukhrajah:
I’d like one example of when FNC “abused and vilified” the entire community. One example. Just one. Pretty please. With sugar on top.
Heywood Jablowme
“In further news, Smith can apparently become quite irate when waitresses are too slow in serving him a c*cktail.” (Seriously, Queerty? We can’t say “c*cktail” in comments even when it’s IN the article?)
Am I the only one who clicked on THAT link, about his bad behavior in a bar on 9th Avenue? Holy-moly. If he’s going to act like that, I wish he was straight!
The next step with behavior like that is when the drunk celebrity says “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”… to which the classic response is: “911? We have a crazy man here who doesn’t know who he is!”
Josh S
He’s a bit of an odious twit. Do we really want him on our team? 🙂
ppp111
@Mo Bro:
I’m inclined to say the transgender issue but the same sex marriage issue looked as if it demonized same sex couples while making those who refused to serve them as saints or at least above reproach. I know Fox is a conservative network but sometimes I wonder if they may have gone too far. And if you mention MSNBC, they admit they’re a progressive network, they don’t try to say otherwise.
Mo Bro
@Sukhrajah:
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Crickets.
Sukhrajah
@Mo Bro:
Why have me do it, when a simply google search can irradicate both your indelible isolence, or your ignominious ignorance;
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/10/report-fox-news-downplays-stories-about-anti-lgbt-bullying-suicide/
“In May, Fox devoted three separate segments in two days to attacking a gender diversity lesson being taught in a California public school. Over the past several months, the network has spent segment after segment misinforming about California’s FAIR Education Act, which would require public schools to teach students about the historical contributions of LGBT Americans. And in the weeks leading up to Rodemeyer’s death, Fox ran five segments attacking New Jersey’s new anti-bullying law for allegedly being too expansive.”
Now inundated with both a source, and an factually supported explanation – which has failed your more – your idiocy, or your illiteracy?