Thanks r2.
[quote]For anyone to understand this entire story about Michael Pitt, or Mike as he was always known before he became Michael, you have to first know his history. I grew up in his New Jersey neighborhood, and when me and my friends were playing baseball at age 11, he would sit in the bleachers and cheer on (sort of) his sister who played on the boys team. He was a miserable kid who was quiet unless he knew you, and if you did know him, growing up in the 80's and early 90's, you would most likely label him as "weird." I recall one summer, my friends and I were playing in a park inbetween his house and mine, and he came by and would just stare and when we asked him if he wanted to hang out, he would smile and be interested for about 5 minutes, then start arguing with one of the smaller, nerdier, less athletic kids, trying to put him down. For this reason, we all pretty much thought he was an asshole and rightfully so. He would continue through the 90's becoming stranger, hanging out with some of the wilder kids who were easily 5-7 years older than him. Kids who at the large age gap of 14-20 would drink, smoke, and get involved with pot and pills. Mike took to pills at a very young age and I openly admit to us planning to fight him and a few of his dirtbag tag alongs because he tried getting my young, female cousin, Denise (and was successful in his efforts) to smoke weed and take XTC with him and his friends. Despite all this, when he was about 16-17 he sorta just vanished. The rumors of his exit from our town ranged from: he moved to NY to try to be an actor/model/or musician, to he is a male underage prostitute in Cali, to he joined a cult in Waco, TX. Obviously, if you have followed his story, you know he moved to NY and the rest his history. However, small town rumors and the testimonies of his family and friends left behind, stated that he was HEAVILY involved with drugs (Vicodin, oxy, coke, heroin, and Xanex) and mixed in with a really strange crowd in NY that pretty much exploited him for sexual favors and acting dollars, in exchange for him getting more work and popularity in the circles he was involved with in NY. The stories of him being involved with men at least 10 years older than him started around when he was 18. Fast forwarding to the new rumors of his agency dropping him, Boardwalk Empire writing him out, and the never ending Internet posts of him being difficult to work with at the cost of him getting mildly black listed, I would say the least surprising thing here is him dating a well known Hollywood actor. To this day, I have never heard any rumors in West Orange, NJ stating he is dating or has dated JGL, but I have heard enough awful gossip that it is urban legend enough. The unfortunate thing is all the stories have really hurt his family, and his mother was always a nice lady. But yea, in the case of Mike--excuse the hell out of me--MICHAEL Pitt, it's ok to believe what you read, because even if it isn't 100% factual, there is probably another untold story similar to what you are reading. Oh and for those Internet people that are going to say I'm writing this because I'm angry about the personal situation he had with a family member of mine, yea, a little, but it doesn't make a word of what I'm saying untrue. If you come across a 30-40 year old person who grew up in WONJ, you will most likely get the same story from that guy or girl, as Mike has become somewhat of a hometown hero--well more of a local legend here and just about everyone in town has heard his story and several more that have followed.
Very interesting.
