In a fascinating new interview with the Hollywood Reporter, actor Neil Patrick Harris recalls coming out publicly and the unfortunate role gossip blogger Perez Hilton played in the matter.
Harris revealed he was gay in an exclusive interview with People magazine in November 2006 after months of speculation. Looking back, he says many of the rumors were peddled by Hilton, who himself is gay.
“This was at the height of the Perez Hilton gossip blog-centric era,” Harris recalls. “I had gone out of my way in interviews to be gender neutral in the way I would answer questions.”
He continues, “If an interviewer would ask me where would you go on your perfect date, I would be gender-neutral intentionally so that I didn’t feel like I was saying something that was not truthful.”
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But, he says, Hilton seemed intent on outing him.
Harris recalls:
There was an interview [in 2006] that claimed that I was asked if I was gay and that my publicist had said that I was “not of that persuasion.” That was the weird catalyst tipping point because that expression set Perez Hilton off. He was offended by that and then started posting about me and asking people to come forward with truths or stories. Then it became apparent that I needed to make some sort of decisive respectable move.
In an effort to get ahead of the narrative, Harris chose to go to People, telling the publication, “I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love.”
Looking back, the 46-year-old says it ended up being “pretty much no big deal” and that it didn’t seem to affect his career in any negative way.
“There were no ‘God Hates F*gs’ signs on my front lawn,” he says. “There were no people shouting things as I walked anywhere. It was just another piece of incidental information in the non-sort of lives of celebrity people.”
And while he doesn’t seem to hold any grudges against him today, Harris is likely never going to forget what Hilton did.
“[Coming out] wasn’t simple for me, but I tried to represent myself well,” he says. “All I was able to do is make some sort of statement that was respectful of [husband] David [Burtka], that was respectful of the query, and then to keep on trucking.”
He adds, “I just think everyone needs to be proud of who they are. If you want to be super crazy, wonderfully flamboyant, wearing dresses to work and dancing in heels every day, you should. If your version of being gay in Hollywood means that you have a very personal, private life and you don’t want your personal life to be a reflection of your professional life, you should.”
“We need to practice tolerance as best as we can,” he concludes.
Related: Perez Hilton can’t find a date, claims “the overwhelming majority of gay men don’t like me”
wiredpup
NPH > that POS Perez
Cam
I remember those articles.
Harris’s P,R, folks were saying he was straight, and Harris was closeted. What Hilton did was run pictures of Harris and his boyfriend walking holding hands in public that were available on the web for purchase.
Not a fan of Hilton publicly, but NPH was taking full advantage of the media supporting the glass closet and all Hilton did was buy and run pictures that photographers had taken of Harris.
Or, knowing Hilton, he probably didn’t pay for the pics and ended up getting sued oer them.
Troysky
@Cam …..admit you got a hard on at the time, Cam, thinking that now you might have a chance 😉 …and i don’t blame you
Cam
@Troysky
LOL! More, I was just happy that there was proof there were some famous LGBT people out there. 🙂
Troysky
@Cam ….oh, of course, that’s a given…..but I’m a bit of a perv and it’s fun to think of you getting turned on, too
CNY1983
I try to imagine what kind of “fans” would gravitate to hilton and I’m drawing a blank. Why would anyone give a fig, he opens his mouth and closes the book.
winemaker
Big deal! in the famous words of ‘joyless’ joy behar of that utra liberal hour long waste of your time that you can’t get back , the ‘View’, “so what, who cares, move on”. I suggest we all move on as most people don’t really give a rats ripe ass about neil patrick harris and his trauma of the world finding out he’s gay. He sounds ashamed of being gay., his problem. Maybe he should get therapy. Well again, let’s move on to more important things going on other than insignificant people who think they’re relevant and what they do is relevant. Some people are so full of themselves it’s sad and funny at the same time.
oscarjames
Who cares winemaker asks. Well, I, for one, care. Maybe NPH did have some issues with being a public gay figure. Maybe he did need therapy and time and adjustment. All of those things were his business and his business alone. But Hilton wasn’t going to allow for any of that. NPH is everything Hilton isn’t and can never hope to be. Simply just an attractive individual, leading his life seemingly with decency and integrity. Those are qualities Hilton will be forever lacking. The code is this: unless someone who is gay, famous or not, is working against the welfare of gay people, they are to be left alone to decide for themselves if and whenever they want to come out publicly. Oh and one more thing- for my money Joy Behar is pure delight and very much a friend to gay people.
Cam
The right wing troll account switches screenames, but can’t keep spouting it’s same crap.
We get it, trolls hate ANYBODY who is out.
Hdtex
Winemaker sounds triggered. And pathetic. And sad.
Cry harder. Your tears are delicious!
WSnyder
I don’t think a single thing Perez does is for the ‘good’ of the LGBTQ+ Community, it’s all for the good of Perez. He’s a wanna be celeb and the only ‘talent’ he has is for displaying the muck he rolls around in. You don’t fawn over people like Perez, you focus on trying to hold your lunch down so you don’t hurl when you see his face or hear that shrill voice. If he got sucked into the Bermuda Triangle, I’d send in a drone with a case of Mylanta because he’s hard to swallow w/o retching.
Mack
I agree 100%
Virpilosus
Nailed it, Wsnyder!
Jack
NPH is clearly a low key, private person. Even since he came out, he’s not nearly as forthcoming about his personal life as his husband, but he’s clearly happy and proud. I live for the yearly family Halloween pictures. I see no evidence ever that he is ashamed of being gay. If someone asks you in an interview about your coming out experience and you came out publicly to shut down the classless, third-rate, has-been Perez Hilton, it’s simply part of the story. Clearly NPH’s sexuality is much more interesting to the people reading this article than it is to him.
Gary Q VV
Neil Patrick Harris is a gifted person who deserved to come out of his glass closet on his own terms, which he most likely did. Now, if we have a Queer homophobic celebrity who is making disparaging remarks against our community, or a Queer homophobic legislator or governmental leader causing harm to our community, then, a good old outing would be apropos.
Mack
Like Lady Graham?
garybw
No one has the right to put anyone else. Ever
Woteva
Hilton. What IS his ACTUAL talent?
ScottOnEarth
How did Perez Hilton become so bitter when he was so young…all those years ago? I have no idea how he became so influential….all those years ago. NPH is such a class act in the way he described Perez’s attempts to out him.
NateOcean
Exactly. And guess what?
Fifteen years later Harris is still a solid, engaging guy.
And Perez Hilton is still a jerk.
Walker
I’m no fan of Perez Hilton but it’s more than a little hypocritical to say NPH was victimized when he flat out admits that he was lying about his identity to protect his (at the time, flagging) career.
Evji108
@Winemaker must have gotten in a big shipment of sour grapes judging by his rancid rambling. Poor Wretch.
joeboyle49
I DIDN’T NEED NPH TO COME OUT I KNEW HE WAS GAY THE MIN I SAW HIM ON DOGGIE HOWSER!