Actress Tisha Campbell and Duane Martin have been married for eleven years. Despite the longevity of their marriage, many still speculate that Martin and Will Smith – who’s married to Jada Pinkett Smith – are secret lovers. Here’s what they had to say about all the gossip:
Essence.com: Bloggers even wrote that Duane and longtime friend Will Smith are an item?
T.M.: (Laughs) Our theory is that it’s really a slave mentality. Whenever the Black community has leaders, potential leaders or a family unit, we emasculate them. You don’t ever see them do that to Ben Affleck or Matt Damon. They can be friends, and be powerful individually or collectively and do amazing things.
D.M.: It’s a Brat Pack when White people do it.
Essence.com: So how is it different when it comes to Black men?
T.M.: When two brothers are successful or have influential and powerful friends, we have to emasculate them. On the real, we even did it to Oprah and Gayle.
On the real, we still think Will Smith’s gay.
EdWoody
Ugh, so many problems.
1. Of course people say that about Ben and Matt. And any other attractive male in the oublic eye, regardless of race. They’ve been saying it as long as anybody’s known who they are. Where the hell have you been living, woman?
2. So you’re saying that for a man to be gay is emasculating? Tell that to Arpad Miklos, bitch.
3. How many times are people going to play the “slave” card?
adamblast
Amen, Ed Woody! Lame-ass and insulting remarks.
I’m amazed they we ignorant and blinkered enough to trot out Matt and Ben as people who would never face gay rumors because they’re white.
Laughable. Excreable.
afrolito
1. She never said anywhere that being gay is emasculating. She was refering to the general perception in society. Guess what? She’s right. Arpad Miklos can “act” as butch as he wants, but to the majority of the “straight” world he’s a guy who sucks cock, and that’s not MASCULINE in their eyes.
2. What exactly is a slave card, and how does one play it??? Is it similar to the “fag” card??
vince
we don’t do it to Ben Affleck ’cause he’s ugly.
hephaestion
She sure DID say that being gay was being “emasculated.” She should be ashamed. What a stupid, clueless, thoughtless, foolish thing to say. Those idiots who think that gay sex is not masculine are seriously ignorant and apparently incapable of basic logic.
afrolito
I guess you see what you want to read, because I didn’t read it that way. In any case most of the world is apparently ignorant and incapable of basic logic.
So what’s new??
GranDiva
On the real, we still think Will Smith’s gay.
Umm, why?
hisurfer
What a strange interview. The first page was so fluffy and light that I was left thinking: why do all the stupid people get to be rich? But the second page was insightful & interesting.
With that, afrolito, she states twice that gay rumors are a way to emasculate black men, and she said it very clearly both times. It was ” *we* emasculate them” not “they try to emasculate them.” I don’t think this is a red-flag foul, but do think it shows she has some opinions she might want to evaluate a bit more.
sfjohn
Afrolito: I applaud you for standing up for the entire black community (clap, clap, clap), however; maybe you’re reading into it what you want to. I know it’s a difficult situation to be black and gay, but you know they’d (straight, black people) throw you under the bus in a minute. At least racist gay people would only make you sit at the back of it.
afrolito
I love how you feel so qualified to condemn ALL straight black people, as if you’re not seeing what YOU want to to see. Why don’t you share your unique knowledge of RACIST WHITE GAY PEOPLE.
rock
I read it as she was referring to emasculating equals Gay, particularly since she referenced by implication the rumors that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are a Gay couple.
It is been rumored for years that Will Smith is Gay and so that his wife is a lesbian….
tell me something we all don’t know..and yep, I am sure it is true.
ProfessorVP
Pretty lame and insulting, this “emasculate” business, and if it’s supposed to deflect rumors about certain gay black stars, well, it doesn’t. And listen, the trainwreck of a marriage between lesbian Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown didn’t even work if convincing people she was straight was the goal. It was certainly a waste of time, money and crack.
afrolito
Like it or not, the majority of straight society (black, white, whatever) sees being labeled gay as “emasculating”. Tisha didn’t pull that out of her ass.
rock: Why are you so sure Will and Jada are gay?? Based on what??
hisurfer
I don’t think she pulled it out of her ass (um, gross), but do believe that she was tacitly accepting that being called gay is emasculating.
I remember the gay rumors starting when Will Smith played gay (and played it well!) in “Six Degrees,” but I assumed it was all wishful thinking.
BillieXX
“At least racist gay people would only make you sit at the back of it.”
That’s funny. Not true because racist gay folk would also throw queers of all colors under the bus; however, it’s still funny.
james_boston
Woody is right on…maybe it’s because I’m from the same town (Cambridge) as them but there’s been nothin’ but gay rumors about Affleck and Damon; hell , they joke about the gay rumors themselves. Duane and Tisha, however, know they’re full of shit but they’re smart enough to use the one thing that’s more powerful than the gay card…the racism card.
I can say that cause I’m half black, LOL. And I actually don’t believe the Will Smith rumors…there’s just never been any smoke there, unlike with Tom Cruise.
whywhyzed
Damn I hate when these things turn into an us/them…
Yeah there are problems with some in the black community dealing with Gays and Lesbians, but there are also alot of problems in the Gay community with racism.
I’ve seen and heard enough racism from other white Gays to last me a lifetime…
How quickly everyone forgets how supportive Coretta Scott King was of GLBT rights – or Deval Patrick, the Governor of Massachusetts is of our struggle for equality.
And maybe people could disagree with what Tisha Campbell said without resorting to calling her a bitch… Sad to see people complaining about people saying things about us while resorting to insulting others…
luvthepunk
It is a shame that this has degenerated into nasty name-calling. And yes, I lament homophobia and racism, no matter the context.
Do I think Will and Duane might be gay? I sure as heck wish they are, and would pay damn good money to see ’em in action.
’nuff said. You can count me as yet another man, who happens to be gay, that thinks with his penis (and ass, in my case).
LISA
Denial can be such an UGLY thing!
Devon Porter
“On the real, we still think Will Smith’s gay”
WTF!! fuck what yall think!! Will Smith is not gay! I think Tish and Duane are right, the media does do that. They’ll take one thing and turn it into another, and yea they even tried to link best friends Oprah and Gayle as a gay couple. What they cant be friends and successful. Damn, what has to happen. You want Will Smith himself to comeout and say hes not gay? I know Will’s not gay and I dont need Will to come out and say he’s not gay because Im a true fan. I grew up watching fresh Prince.
Will
It’s not the media. It is society. Tisha is right. When people in general see Leonardo and Tobey Maguire chilling at the Laker game together, they are just “really good friends.” If Will Smith, Chris Rock, Usher and Eddie Murphy were chilling at the game and having fun, we, along with the media, would be whispering about them being on the down low. Black men can’t be too close to each other or they are gay! That is the message that we send. We don’t do it with any other race; not hispanic, asian, european, south american. We just do it with black or white. So, When White folks doing it, Well, it’s Success. When Blacks start doing it, Well, it’s Suspect. Peace to my Big Brother Will Smith.