# Has a a celebrity's heterosexuality surprised you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206 "2010-09-18T18:41:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/21 "2010-09-18T22:38:51Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > Rick Steves, the travel writer/radio host/television host. That was a double whammy: I thought he was gay and Canadian, turns out he’s straight and from Edmonds, WA. Rick had his wife and their two kids on several episodes of his show over the years, and it always looked like such a happy, perfect family, travelling Europe together and clearly enjoying spending time together. I don’t know why, but when I read that he and his wife divorced last year after over 20 (maybe it was 30?) years of marriage, it really, really bummed me out… ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/22 "2010-09-18T22:44:27Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Dave Gahan, the lead singer of Depeche Mode. Apparently I wasn’t alone; there’s a side comment in an episode of “Venture Brothers” where two of the characters exchange their shock that he isn’t gay." I came in to post this. Oh, and Adam Ant. WHAT?! ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/23 "2010-09-18T22:44:43Z")
Michael Waltrip the (married to a woman) NASCAR driver sets off my gaydar bigtime. ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/24 "2010-09-19T00:32:22Z")
From watching interviews, Baz Luhrmann, (director of Strictly Ballroom, Romeo plus Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Australia) seemed pretty gay to me. Also, he is the director of Strictly Ballroom, Romeo plus Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Australia. Apparently he has a wife though. ---
**Author:** ![FalconFinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@FalconFinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalconFinder)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/25 "2010-09-19T00:41:12Z")
I was stunned to find that Paul Shaffer (of SNL and David Letterman) was straight. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/26 "2010-09-19T00:45:01Z")
Rob Lowe. For some reason he always seemed gay to me. Up until the sex tape came out and he was caught in bed with two women. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/27 "2010-09-19T00:49:31Z")
Tony Randall Paul Shaffer ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/28 "2010-09-19T00:50:17Z")
I still have trouble accepting that legendary ice skater Scott Hamilton is hetero. But [apparently so](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20172901,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/29 "2010-09-19T00:56:19Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Tony Randall had some mannerisms that I associated with gay men, but apparently he was straight, and if I remember got married to a very young woman in the last few years of his life, and they had a kid together shortly before he died. This. I was amused that despite his borderline swishy, fey mannerisms he was the hetero horndog and his fellow actor, manly Rock Hudson he did several features with, was the gay one. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/30 "2010-09-19T00:56:55Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > Michael Waltrip the (married to a woman) NASCAR driver sets off my gaydar bigtime. Well, if anyone had a good excuse for staying deep in the closet… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/31 "2010-09-19T01:04:57Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > From watching interviews, Baz Luhrmann, (director of Strictly Ballroom, Romeo plus Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Australia) seemed pretty gay to me. Also, he is the director of Strictly Ballroom, Romeo plus Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Australia. > > Apparently he has a wife though. Hugh Jackman’s another Aussie I’d have been less surprised to learn was gay than straight, though admittedly that might be wishful thinking (because, you know, if he were gay I’d have much more of a shot). I was surprised to learn veteran character actor Hans Conried (Uncle Tonoose on _Danny Thomas_ and Wrong Way Feldman on _Gilligan’s Island_) was married with several kids. It may be that he reminds me of Edward Everett Horton, who _was_ gay (and fairly openly). I also assumed Jonathan Harris (Dr. Smith from _Lost in Space_) was gay. The truth was more something Zoltan Karpathy would have loved to gossip to Henry Higgins about: “De truth iz he not gay, not English, not aristocratic… he vas born Yehonatan Danielovich Charasuchin to penniless immigrant Jews from Russia and grew up in the Bronx vith an accent so terrible and thick he affected an English one to hide it…”. Attractive ladies who met him at sci-fi conventions said he could be downright lecherous with his hands when they put their arms around him to pose for pictures. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/32 "2010-09-19T01:05:58Z")
George Balanchine noted ballet choreographer [when I read his wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Balanchine). I don’t recall knowing much about him, I was just astounded that _any_ ballet choreographer was not gay. Apparently he was extremely hetero and was virtually predatory WRT the young female dancers. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/33 "2010-09-19T01:18:52Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > RE: Alton Brown. Just because a guy is anal retentive doesn’t actually mean he’s into buttsex… So true! I have terrible gaydar anyway. I should never make assumptions about sexual orientation. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/34 "2010-09-19T01:46:28Z")
[Pete Burns](http://celebritysurgery.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/pete_burns.jpg), lead singer of Dead Or Alive, was married to a woman for 28 years. He later married a man, but I was shocked he was interested in women at all. When I was young, I assumed Prince must have been at least bisexual - I mean, look at him! - but then as I grew older I realised he wasn’t gay, he was just from the eighties. And eventually I learned that he really, _really_ loves women. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/35 "2010-09-19T01:52:03Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > Michael Waltrip the (married to a woman) NASCAR driver sets off my gaydar bigtime. Did he remarry? He and Buffie divorced a few years ago. Apparently the stress of him starting MWR strained their relationship and his drunk driving crash led to their separation. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/36 "2010-09-19T04:31:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Also, the photographer Bruce Weber (simply because of the homoerotic nature of some of his work). ::shoots cola out of nose:: Bruce Weber?!?! I know him for his work with the Pet Shop Boys and having seen him interviewed would’ve pegged him as FABULOUS. Straight? Really? Wow! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/37 "2010-09-19T04:46:16Z")
On this season of Design Star I was startled when [Courtland Bascon](http://www.hgtv.com/design-star/courtland-bascon/index.html) mentioned his financee, and then they showed her. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/38 "2010-09-19T04:52:07Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Also, the photographer Bruce Weber (simply because of the homoerotic nature of some of his work). > > ::shoots cola out of nose:: Bruce Weber?!?! I know him for his work with the Pet Shop Boys and having seen him interviewed would’ve pegged him as FABULOUS. Straight? Really? Wow! For proof, here’s a sentence from a New York Times obituary for Beth Levine (a shoe designer who passed away in 2006): “The cause was lung cancer, said her niece, Nan Bush, the wife and producing partner of the photographer Bruce Weber.” ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/39 "2010-09-19T05:28:40Z")
Janeane Garofalo married a guy. That surprised me. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206/40 "2010-09-19T08:23:16Z")
She’s been married twice, most famously to Rob Reiner, but I was still surprised to learn that Penny Marshall still prefers men. A bit obscure, but Marla Gibbs from _The Jeffersons_ gave me gay vibes. I learned later she married when she was 13 and had 3 children by the time she was 18, so she’s probably not that interested in sex with anyone. I’ve heard that Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhuru) is gay and I’ve heard she’s a straight cougar. I know she’s been married to men and has a son, but she divorced many years ago. Does anybody know her self-identification? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-a-celebritys-heterosexuality-surprised-you/554206.md?page=3)