Who was sacrificed to save Rock Hudson's career?

[aldiboronti]

Here’s the first version from a site called Gay Influence:

According to insider reports at the time, Rock Hudson was a bit too indiscreet with a man he picked up, and their dalliance was photographed. Universal Studios bosses received a phone call from Confidential magazine saying they were about to expose Hudson’s homosexuality on their front page. The studio panicked at the thought of losing its hottest new star, so they cut a deal with the magazine. They made a decision that made Rock Hudson a Hollywood legend while simultaneously dashing the career of Nader to hopeless obscurity. The magazine agreed to ruin Nader’s career by outing him as a homosexual in exchange for accepting a large cash payment to keep Rock Hudson’s gay activities out of print forever.

Here’s the version from Wikipedia:

While his career developed, Hudson and his agent Henry Willson kept the actor’s personal life out of the headlines. In 1955, Confidential magazine threatened to publish an exposé about Hudson’s secret homosexual life. Willson stalled this by disclosing information about two of his other clients. Footnote: (Willson provided information about Rory Calhoun’s years in prison and the arrest of Tab Hunter at a party in 1950.)

Anything authoritative anywhere? Who did get shafted?

[The_Other_Waldo_Pepper]

@aldiboronti

Who did get shafted?

Didn’t you just say it was Rock Hudson?

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

I have no idea, but it reminded me of this post from Eve from some years back. Hmmm. . . Wonder if Al Traina was behind it.

[TriPolar]

Why wouldn’t it be George Nader?

In the mid-1950s, rumors about Nader’s homosexuality began to surface. Nader’s life partner was Mark Miller, who later worked as Rock Hudson’s personal secretary for 13 years.[5][6] When Nader’s career in Hollywood ended, he and Miller moved to Europe, where he found steady work in films.

He inherited the interest from Rock Hudson’s estate after Hudson’s death from AIDS complications in 1985.[6] Hudson biographer Sara Davidson, described Nader, Miller, and another person as “Rock’s family for most of his adult life”.[7] Nader publicly acknowledged his sexual orientation shortly afterward

From his IMDB page:

We lived in fear of an exposé, or even one small remark, a veiled suggestion that someone was homosexual. Such a remark would have caused an earthquake at the studio. Every month, when Confidential came out, our stomachs began to turn. Which of us would be it?