If you’re looking for some serious family drama, just check out what’s happening with a family from Bravo’s reality series Real Housewives of New Jersey. Fans of the show might recognize James Marchese as husband of Amber. Together they’re raising four kids: two biological kids and two stepchildren from James’ ex-wife, including a gay stepson named Michael.
In a recently launched GoFundMe page, Michael claims that James kicked him out of his house in 2018 when he discovered he was gay and is now refusing to pay for his college education.
Michael wrote:
“Since this time, my father has been slowly cutting ties with me until I “live according to his standards.” Essentially, this meant – and still means – that I have to be “straight” and date women while “admitting” that I chose to be gay….
With this, my father has refused to help in paying for any schooling because he believes I have to live in his home and follow his preferred life-style to be good enough to receive any financial assistance with school.”
Michael is asking followers for $35,000 to help pay for his $65,000 tuition at Fairfield University. So far he has raised over $10,000. Here is a video in which he explains why he needs the money:
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However, his father and stepmother claim that James didn’t disown Michael but rather he moved out to go live with his more permissive mother. Both claim that Michael is simply using his stepmother’s reality TV celebrity status to go to an overpriced college. James said:
“His complete go fund me page is a fraud… He’s clearly trying to use Amber’s celebrity stature to literally sucker people into paying so this spoiled rich kid can attend an egregiously overpriced no name school….
In the end this has nothing to do with sexual orientation. It has to do with money which again his mother, grandparents, etc will put no money into. No one believes this is a good investment which is why no one is co-signing [to help him get educational loans]…. He just wants to go there because his friends are. And that’s that.”
Amber said:
“I have said since day one since we found out [that he’s gay] that we love him, we adore him, and we want the best for him.
What he’s doing is called extortion as he is using my public platform coupled with him being gay in order to try to get us to pay for something…. Jim and I have put all four of our kids through private school which is an expensive investment (almost a half million spent already) coupled with the fact that I am a two-time breast cancer survivor. I have paid out of pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to ensure that I am cancer free and stay healthy for ALL four of my children.”
James’ antigay views surfaced late last year when he posted numerous prejudiced tweets in response to people criticizing comedian Kevin Hart for his “jokes” that he’d abuse his son for being gay.
At the time, James wrote in Hart’s defense with unhinged statements about being gay:
So true NO STRAIGHT MALE wants his son to be gay. A gay son is a curse that takes away your #family traditions #heritage #lgtbiq is a a parents nightmare that destroys families. Ruins holidays like #Christmas #KevinHart we support you! #LiberalismIsAMentalDisorder
Europe is importing muslim men because #lgtbiq has caused a crisis due to lack of children being born.
Being gay is a physical act derived in sexual deviance by definition. No one is born gay it is a lifestyle choice like being vegan. Get over it. You are #FakeNews
Yeesh. No matter what started this family drama, James hardly sounds like father of the year or a dad that any gay kid would feel accepted by.
Evji108
One advantage of being on reality TV is that you’ve got a fan base to raise money from when your in a pinch.
Chrisk
Jesus Christ you’re an adult. No one should be forced to pay for your schooling. Try getting a job.
ardeshmole
Gay or straight disowned or loving family. Pay for your own schooling. Most students have to get grants loans and even a part time job. Why are you so special you have a lot of nerve asking strangers to support your ass
gameshowguy2000
Look, he already suffered ENOUGH. You want honestly to suffer more?
Chrisk
Too bad I couldn’t go back in time and start my own GoFundMe thing. My dad was a complete asshole to me and took away my allowance. I need money bitches!
Mikey E
He is very effeminate.
95% of the time, when an effeminate man complains about being a victim of “homophobia” or “anti-gay discrimination,” he is not talking about hostility towards his sexual orientation at all. He is talking about reactions to his effeminacy. Those are 2 different things. The former is a problem and the latter is not.
Mikelaw
A bold statement from a guy who goes by “Mikey”…….
david_warner
Toxic masculinity on display here! Probably small dick syndrome!
BShade77
piss off you lil bitch
Mikey E
Interesting that all of the replies above directly or indirectly deploy allegations or insinuations of effeminacy as an insult. These responses affirm a larger truth, which is that males of all stripes loath effeminacy and see it as something degrading and wrong. Even those who purport to defend it wind up implicitly admitting that it’s a put-down. Is there any doubt that this poor fellow came into conflict with his dad because he talks and acts like a little girl, and not because he is attracted to men?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
That “Father” is a vile, abhorrent, noxious sub human piece of garbage… countdown til the scandal where he molested a child erupts….
Rex Huskey
shut up fool
IWantAFullBeard
Being gay ruins Christmas?
Um the holiday with lots of sparkling lights, glitter, a burly man slipping into your house at night to give a gift, decorating trees, etc. is ruined by homosexuals? If I came from another planet on December 25th, I would just both Santa and Jesus are homosexuals.
jsteinbee
Well he start the go fune me with a goal of 35,000 he need 65,000 if do the math 35,000 + 35,000= 65,000 so say he reach his goal of 35,000 he will have work part time for the other 35,000 and all this talk on real housewives and him using his mom so call celebrity status Is bs hun I don’t watch it I don’t care to seee how rich people show how rich they are and all this talk about a ‘ lifestyle ‘ this is what piss me off I did not go bed thinking about girl and get up the next and start thinking about guy I’m gay I was born that way
PinkoOfTheGange
$35k +$35k= $70k
He most likely has the $30k from loans, grants, scholarships etc
dinard38
“Europe is importing muslim men because #lgtbiq has caused a crisis due to lack of children being born.”
Please tell me that anyone with a brain did not make this comment. A lack of children being born? There are 7+ billion people in the world. Where is there a lack of children? And the importing Muslim men doesn’t even make any sense. What is he saying? That Muslim men are more fertile and they will come into Europe and make more babies because of all them pesky gay people not making babies?
Oh Lawd!!!! I done lost brain cells reading that comment!!!!
jcoberkrom
Soneone’s looking for attention
PinkoOfTheGange
it seems like there are 3 people looking for attention in this family alone.
maxlovesrio
That’s a lot of money for college when you’re supposedly broke and the parents won’t sign for a loan. I would be ashamed to ask people to give me money so I could go to a posh school when there are plenty of junior colleges to start as well as other state schools. That’s not good enough for him, so some strangers should pay for it? smdh
My parents were poor so I put myself thru college by working and getting student loans which I paid off and doing so gave me a feeling of pride and confidence and made me a better person.
Andy
I agree. State University gave me a great education. I’m sure New Jersey has one as well. Fairfield is a private Catholic University I’m surprised they want a gay student to matriculate! As for wanting to go there because his friends attend Fairfield is such a weak reason. People who would put themselves on Real Housewives are completely dysfunctional.
Kangol2
Fairfield’s in Connecticut, and a Catholic school. Youngster could
1) go to a New Jersey state university (there are lots of them, some like Rutgers very good)
2) go to a Connecticut state university (if his biological mom lives there; some like UConn very good)
3) go to a NJ/NY/CT private university that gives nearly full scholarships (i.e., Yale, Columbia, Princeton, etc.), though he’d have to be really smart
4) go to an out-of-state NJ/NY/CT public university that’s still cheaper than Fairfield (there’s a lot of ’em)
That said, the father is a vile homophobe, and should go choke on some d&cks!
PinkoOfTheGange
His dad and step-mom are narcissistic idiots, but even if they promised him an E-ticket to anywhere his heart desired, he is now an adult and they don’t have to spend a dime on him any longer. Neither do we, but bully for those that help this young man out, although why isn’t heading for some state school does seem like a fair question.
Tom
Go to community college and grow up. Yeah, your sperm donor is a bastard and your step mom is an empty-headed twit. I’m so sorry that happened to you. It’s time to let go of your privilege and start where you are
Now.
Apply to a local community college and live with bio Mom. The current GoFundMe will pay for at least two semesters and a summer. If you’re quick and transfer AP credits, you can finish Community College quickly.
Of you’re a hard worker, you can study your ass off and scholarship your way to an amazing state university. Get your financial aid settled by the school’s staff. They have folks who organize your $$$ life for free.
I’m sorry your dad and step mom are awful. The way they responded to you blamed you for all your issues. The things your dad says breaks my heart. But….??As you get older, you will have leverage and that is your presence in their lives.
Getting your shit together, finishing school and being successful is the best revenge. The condition of your presence in their lives is that they must be respectful to you, your mom and your bf/partner.
With your hard work and success, show them that they’re wrong.
gameshowguy2000
Look, he already suffered ENOUGH. You want honestly to suffer more?
DrJohn
My dad threw me out also at age 19 – he stopped paying college tuition and disowned me (in truth, because when he died I was not included in his will). I worked my way through the rest of undergrad school and then again through my Master’s and Doctoratal degrees, not looking back. He never attended any of my graduations, but I emerged a self-made man with more self-esteem than he could have ever managed for himself.
pavel20
I’ve always wondered why anyone cares who sets up a Go Fund Me campaign. Unless, it’s out and out fraud, e.g., “pay my medical bills for an illness that I don’t have,” I feel like let the marketplace decide if it’s a worthwhile cause to which to contribute.
As for James and Amber, I wouldn’t believe anything they would have to say. They have both proven themselves to be the vilest of human beings time and again. They’re responding because they know this will negatively impact their “brand” (such as it is) and are trying to do damage control.
okiloki
Does anyone from RHofNJ have good brands though? They all seem like they walked right off the set of Goodfellas. The husbands are con artists and the wives are spoiled and more butch than the men.
bridge2nowhere
I’m pretty much obsessed with all the Real Housewives (except Potomac).
I do not remember her at all
mgconlan
I’ve never thought being Queer (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or any other alternative sexual orientation or gender identity) was totally determined at or shortly after birth. I think it’s like poker: genes may deal us a certain hand but it’s up to us how we play it. But Michael’s dad James has an attitude that seems like it came full-blown from the Middle Ages, when people were denounced at the Inquisition and burned at the stake as witches for having same-sex orientations or gender-divergent identities. I don’t watch “Real Housewives” or any other so-called “reality” shows but my heart goes out to Michael, and I admire his courage for putting himself out there and asking for the help he needs to overcome a homohating parent.
pacman128
Join the military and quit bitching if you want free college.
ckskr
OMG ! ! ! GET A JOB AND STOP ASKING FOR MORE HANDOUTS FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOUR USED TO GETTING FROM YOUR FAMILY. YOUR A SPOILED KID WHO IS USED TO GETTING EVERYTHING FOR FREE. GET A JOB LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
Cam
So the same parents that said it’s not about him being gay also publicly spewed out a bunch of anti-LGBT hate.
Everybody’s attacking the kid, but as far as I”m concerned, F-his bigoted dad.
Chrisk
I think we can do both though. My dad was a big bigoted asshole too but I didn’t start a GoFundMe so that I could go to a school with all my friends. I went to a community college and started that way done all on my own and never regretted it.
Wicked Dickie
“…Michael is asking followers for $35,000 to help pay for his $65,000 tuition at Fairfield University…“His complete go fund me page is a fraud… He’s clearly trying to use Amber’s celebrity stature to literally sucker people into paying so this spoiled rich kid can attend an egregiously overpriced no name school….”
I don’t know who these people are, but I completely agree with the father. I’ve never heard of Fairfield University (and I have a post-graduate degree).
okiloki
Sounds like a messed up family. Yes he is spoiled for asking for the tuition money but he was probably raised that way so the blame and fault lie with the parents. They had no problem spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on private (and unnecessary) primary schooling for their kids but suddenly it is a problem when one turns out to be gay. After reading some of the father’s bigoted and crazy conspiracy theories, the kid is probably better off getting into community college for a few years and cutting ties from them until they change their toxic mindsets. They may have money but they seem like terrible parents.
Felecia
When are people going to quit falling for the crappy, any-drama-will-do ‘Reality Show’ scripts..??? Yes, scripts; the only reality is how easy it is to get viewers to believe all of the bullsh*t that supposedly unfolds during a season of these programs, lol…if it keeps the money rolling in and creates hero-worshipping fans, these ‘stars’ would do anything and diss anybody on-camera that they could, just to remain rich and popular. For all we know, the bitchy punk has a girlfriend AND a degree from Harvard; while the homophobic dad hides a boyfriend in Argentina, lol…ratings, ratings, ratings. In TV world that’s the only thing that actually matters, lol…and I’d like to point out that whenever a show wants to have the Gay Son character, it’s ALWAYS a flaming effeminate. Nothing wrong with that of course; but where are the Leather Boys, the Marlboro Men, the hairy and cuddly Bears..? No representation of these masculine role-models ever is seen outside of indy-films on Netflix, and it’s time to change that…I’m tired of the “I’m a mincing queer and my family hates me for it” same-old-same-old stuff every time Hollywood wants to create a gay male character. Stop already, please…that’s bad enough without throwing begging for college tuition from complete strangers into the stereotype. Do something different for a change, ‘reality’ TV…like actually getting real, lol…..oh, and before somebody here shreds me for what they assume is my scandalizing being an effeminate guy, as I use the name Felecia myself…I am a femme lesbian with a femme wife. Hardly ever see THAT in films and television either, lol…peace, gentlemen, and thanks for allowing me to have my say here on Queerty.com…:)
J W G
I have seen in a lot of households, boys (especially boys) who come out to their parents is death , being…you become dead to your parents. In many families, being a murderer is more honorable than being a homosexual. That might be changing but ever so slowly.