How long do you estimate before the truth about the late Burt Reynolds's sexuality is made known to the wider public?

I think it will come out.

Everyone in Florida knows.

It was brought to my attention when Evening Shade was on tv. A lot of people heard about the sexual harassment of the juvenile actor. Well, older people. Millennials and younger are like, who? So I guess anyone who can recall tv shows after children’s bedtime from what, twenty years ago?

Dish, girl, dish!!!

Tell Mama what you know!

There's been gay rumors about Burt for decades.

Burt Reynolds was the poor man's Rock Hudson.

I can recall Burt on a talk show going on and on about the model in this Salem cigarette ad, pre-famous Tom Selleck. He said the guy was so good looking he could make Burt turn homosexual.

He'd fuck anyone. Mulatto Dinah was proof.

This goes back 40+ years, but my parents went to some dinner theater in Central Florida and the entertainment was a show by an actress who'd been pretty popular in the 60s. I recognized the name, can't recall it. She sang some songs, told some stories. Apparently the woman said in the course of the show, "Burt's gay."

Always felt Our Bert was a gay one, and not a good one, always "hiding" as it were, in public sight, always finding a somewhat Charles Nelson Reilly/Dom DeLouise buddy-type slightly toward femme and camp to play off of, to heighten his "masculinity."

Big ol' queen.

If he wasn't gay, I'm wagering he put it out for some directors/casting agents on his way to the top.

This is Burt's "longtime companion" Casey Hendershot aka "Big Red." When Casey was 18, he was a local Florida boy, interested in theater. Burt discovered him and "took him under his wing"

He's 6'6 and built. Burt gave him a career as a stuntman. Casey stayed with Burt when Casey wasn't on location. Casey said that Seann William Scott came out to the cast of Dukes of Hazzard, and said he planned to come out to the public. Guess he changed his mind.

Casey must feel a sense of relief this week. Imagine having to mount that old buzzard?

His best friend Dom DeLuise

I'm quite certain Selleck is gay (closeted of course)- not so certain about Burt who had a mouth on him-

I've heard that Selleck and Burt are bisexual but this has been known about for decades.

R12 is that the same "big red" that was with Garth Brooks and Tammy Cruise?

Amazing in 2018 we still play this game. He definitely was based on multiple first hand accounts from the Florida dinner theater / schoool he ran. All the Florida theater boys who worked there knew it and had no question. Not sure what drives an 80 year old man to hide in the closet. Sad.

He certainly took an interest in Ted McGinleys career around the time of the Loni bearding.

[quote]Casey must feel a sense of relief this week. Imagine having to mount that old buzzard?

I think I threw up a little in my mouth.

There should be some sort of "Aaron Hernandez scale" for determining this sort of question. The criteria could include age, years in public eye, conservatism of profession, etc.

R8, are you speaking of Carole Cook- discovered by Lucy? She was in Incredible Mr. Limpet, Palm Springs Weekend and did lots of Broadway.

Who was the guy who placed the 911 call? News outlets play the audio clip but don't say anything like, "Burt's caretaker called 911...."

He died??

He was of that generation where staying in the closet was the norm. Burt was a huge hetero sex symbol with an enormous female fan base. It’s sad, he may have had a happier life , if he had come out later on. It must feel so weird living an inuthwntic existence. Perhaps that is why he treated most of his beards so badly?

Sorry, inauthentic!!!! Jesus, my apologies.

Assume he was gay. I have no idea, an obviously neither does anyone else. What would be his reason for staying in the closet?

Maybe out of respect for the women who agreed to beard for him?

the closet kills. it KILLED

Burt's "friend" was hot

Agree r17. I worked at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater in Jupiter, FL circa mid 80s. We all knew.

r29, details please!!!!

I think it will be months before the truth comes out - usually in the immediate aftermath of someone's death people engage in whitewashing, look what happened with Michael Jackson

I think it's complicated. I think he was a very conflicted bisexual. I don't doubt that he loved several women, but I also don't doubt that he screwed around with his share of guys, too. Seriously, again and again, on DL, the concept of complicated bisexual men and women just sends people into orbit, needlessly. I don't think it's all that rare, and unless the person in question actually sits down and explains themself (what's the chance?) I think we have to accept that what goes on in people's private lives will remain much of a mystery.

R17, Weren't both Joel Grey and Christopher Plummer around 80 when they came out?

I think #32 is right. I think he was probably Bi leaning more toward gay.

R32, Does the name Hugh Jackman ring a bell?

[quote] What would be his reason for staying in the closet?

To see if he could find his way to Narnia, Rose.

r33 Since when is Christopher Plummer gay?

Jon Voight et Burt Reynolds

R30 He was nothing at all like he appeared in movies. Very quiet, almost shy demeanor. He and Charles Nelson Reilly ran the apprentice classes/ program and everyone just knew Burt and CRN and even Dom Delouise were gay. Nobody really cared within that circle.

I personally witnessed the aforementioned trio going out late at night with us ( male apprentices). There was a lot of inneundo and drugs.

Females who worked for Burt considered him totally safe and we're never invited to the late night after parties.

I actually had my first rim job from a guy who was one of Burt's lovers at the pool at Burt's house on Jupiter Island. I was very young. It was a wild scene. But it was just the way it was at the time.

I am trying to remember more details and dish...uh Dick Cavett was a pothead...I never saw Loni Anderson - ever. Martin Sheen pinged to me. Adrienne Barbeau was a sweetheart....

*CNR oops

Great pics r38 r39 r40 and r41. They absolutely capture the Burt I knew.

I can’t imagine he ever ate Dinah’s poussay.

r33, Christopher Plummer has never come out--in fact,I've never even heard he's gay.

he played a character in a movie who came out in old age, but he never did.

R45, He spent an entire evening cruising a friend of mine in a Greenwich Village bar years ago, when he was still hot.

How many of you naysayers have actually worked in Equity Theaters?

Most actors are gay and hide in the closet once they start making a name for themselves in theater or film. Spacey, a perfect example.

The few straight actors are straight up sexual predators. My sister will tell you. That is why she loved working for Burt. He was as safe as can be. Loni, Sally, Dinah, et. al. were close friends and/or agreed upon beards.

Christopher Plummer despises women. Fact.

if he had come out he never would have been the biggest movie star in the world which he was in his time.

it sucks but that's the way it was.

is?

Jolie's father is gay Mangelina is gay too

[quote] if he had come out he never would have been the biggest movie star in the world which he was in his time.

Nobody's saying he should've come out forty years ago, genius R49. Most people were extremely homophobic then and he would never have had a successful career. Even flaming queens like Dom DeLouise, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Liberace didn't come out back then!

But Burt probably could've come out a decade or so ago. It's not like he would have to worry about being gaybashed (like a non-famous person) or losing out on million-dollar movie opportunities (like a younger actor).

Probably never like Elvis, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, ...

There are very few people "in the wider public" who are interested in Burt Reynold's sex life at this point. He's mostly forgotten "in the wider public". A few old ladies and gents who don't know, probably don't want to hear such things.

R17 Don't ask me?! Everyone knows I am heterosexual!

R42 just how young were you? Which drugs did Burt and co. use besides weed and probably lots of coke, downer pills, and upper pills/speed?

I thought Burt had AIDS

He was portrayed as a straight womanizer here in the media in Germany in the eulogies, a boulevard paper wrote e.g. of thousands of women, also as this über macho, and he was quoted that he had such a great life, espn also wrote he had such a great life, and quoted some football legend, Theismann, that they womanized a lot back in their playing days; e.g. in one of his latest roles in the sitcom Cybil he had a cameo, and he also portrayed himself as a big womanizer there.

I’m sad trump ruined the attention Burt’s death should have received. Burt was a big part of entertainment cheesy pop culture in the 70sand he was a really fun talk show guest/persona, until he got messy and pill addicted during and after his Loni time. RIP Burt - I still enjoy norm macdonalds impression on snl jeopardy.

R38 I bet that was a hot fuck session filming that movie

R58 - Link does not work.

It worked but stupid, not worth watching

R33 Christoper Plummer is GAY

The Sally thing is so embarrassing. ABC News played it like they were long lost lovers. It’s like it’s the 1950s with the make believe gay man as straight. A reminder that we haven’t dropped the charade completely - even with gay marriage.

I think he and Johnny Carson had a thing. The sexual tension in this clip is palpable. When Johnny goes to smear the whipped cream on Burt’s crotch area, you can see Burt’s semi-hard VPL...

Didn’t Burt convince a young Robert Urich to move out to Hollywood after casting him in a play?

R57 where in Germany are you from?

R64, I would not be surprised if they used coke together, but back then in the 1970s and 1980s the people in the entertainment biz who did not use coke or who had never used it at all, were in the extreme minority. Also I can't find the clip but on Carson when the sequel to Saturday night fever 2 came out didn't Burt say he had Travolta and Stallone visit him at his estate in Florida so they could see Travolta's new body?

^^Not sure, but can you imagine that threesome?

I had forgotten about Burt "discovering" Robert Urich

His look, his sense of humor, his whole affect, was SOOOOOO queeny. How could anyone wonder about his sexuality?

In her memoir, Adrienne Barbeau comes thisclose to outing Burt. She describes their "relationship". Burt's male companion would arrange the dates and was always there. Burt inevitably went to bed early with a headache, or cancelled outright. There were dinners out, but no intimacy once they got back to his place.

r71, that's interesting. Can you give us any other details?

reteryeyter

R21 Interesting. Loni said in her memoirs that he wouldn't have sex with her, either. In fact, he told her he never wanted to see her naked because "it ruins the mystery."

Can you imagine any straight guy in the '80s turning down Loni Anderson or Adrienne Barbeau? There's no way.

R74, Loni made up for it with WKRP co-star Gary Sandy. In her book, she detailed their dressing room fuck sessions, which always resulted in severe rug burns.

I'd rather live in a world that a handsome, masculine straight man can have gay friends, just because he enjoys their company. I don't want to live in a world where every straight guy, deep down inside, hates my guts. Maybe they aren't all pea-brained, bigoted monsters?

Any of you would've dropped to your knees or put you butt in presentation position if Birt shown you even a glimmer of interest.

that's Burt. Damn autocarrot.

Didn't Burt and Loni have an ugly break up? I vaguely recall it. He dumped her for a younger blonde and was trashing Loni in public. She just appeared confused by his behavior. He looked like an asshole. It was very strange because they'd always been portrayed as the perfect couple.

Burt never did a thing for me, so no I would not drop to my knees. Speak for yourself.

If Burt wasn't gay, his handwriting certainly was.

Gay, gay., gay.