Jeremy Pope’s comments about his pastor father go viral for all the right reasons

Tony and Emmy award winner Jeremy Pope was among the talent honored on Thursday night at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. Pope received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, presented by Gabrielle Union.

The award goes to an openly LGBTQ+ member of the entertainment or media community for their work toward eliminating homophobia.

Pope’s acceptance speech went viral over the weekend after he paid tribute to some of the Black men in his life. This included his father, a former pastor turned professional bodybuilder.

Watch video below.

“I’d like to take this moment to thank all of the Black men who have been influential in my life. Who didn’t allow hyper-masculinity or these ideas of who we’re supposed to be for each other get in the way of loving and supporting me,” Pope, 30, said.

“One of my heroes is here tonight. My dad,” he continues. The camera cuts to his pops in the audience. The older man looks emotional at the mention.

“My dad Ty Pope is here tonight. He is a professional bodybuilder. And a pastor when I was growing up. And didn’t disown me when I told him I wanted to be in Destiny’s Child.

“I’m so grateful for our relationship and your dedication to being the best father you could be.”

Pope, known to many for his roles in Pose and Hollywood, shared the video himself and it’s been picked up by other outlets.

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A post shared by POPE (@jeremypope)

Growing up in Orlando, Florida

Pope grew up in Orlando, Florida. Besides his acting and singing, he’s also a talented photographer. In 2021, he shot a photography book for Gucci that focussed on his family in Orlando. Many of the images featured his father, Ty, and grandfather, Nathaniel.

Check out some of the images below.

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A post shared by POPE (@jeremypope)

The GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles will stream on Hulu on April 12. Other winners on the night include Christian Aguilera (Advocate for Change), Bad Bunny (Vanguard Award), Bros (Best Movie – wide release), and 9-1-1 Lone Star (Outstanding Drama Series). A second GLAAD Media Awards, covering its theatre honorees, will take place in New York City on May 13.

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