LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Merv Griff was gay.
Contents:
- GAY HISTORY: MERV GRIFF’S BODYGUARD OF LI
- MERV GRIFF REPORTEDLY LED SECRET GAY LIFE SPE A WIFE & SON - MAN CLAIMED ENTERTAER FELL LOVE WH HIM
- 11 HISTORIL FIGUR YOU DIDN’T KNOW WERE GAY
GAY HISTORY: MERV GRIFF’S BODYGUARD OF LI
* was merv griffin gay *
”But how tremendoly sad is that a man of Merv’s renown, of his gregar nature and social xtery, would feel pelled to endure such a stealthy double life even as the gay muny’s clout, and s levels of acceptance and equaly, rose steadily om the ash of a powerful msage Griff might have sent had he squired his male panns around town rather than Eva Gabor, his longtime good iend and platonic public pal. Image the amount of good Merv uld have done as a well-rpected, hugely succsful, beloved and uncloseted gay man embodyg a posive image. Around the office, Merv’s beg gay was unrstood but rarely discsed (and certaly never wh him).
MERV GRIFF REPORTEDLY LED SECRET GAY LIFE SPE A WIFE & SON - MAN CLAIMED ENTERTAER FELL LOVE WH HIM
Inic TV producer and host Merv Griff has been exposed for reportedly livg a secret gay life while he was alive. Over the urse of his reer, the TV mogul was sued twice on separate ocsns by two men - one claimg neglect of their relatnship and the other allegg sexual asslt. * was merv griffin gay *
We knew nothg of his relatnships bee he guard his privacy fiercely, and we didn’t ’s secret gay life was wily known throughout showbiz culture, if not the wir Ameri. Then aga, Merv rved his niche the entertament world at a time when beg gay wasn’t OK, when disclosure was unthkable and the allegatn alone uld ep-six one’s you’re Griff, why would you thk a judgmental culture would be any more tolerant as you grew to middle and old age?
Even the pal of entertament -- a bs where homosexualy isn’t exactly a rare phenomenon -- ’s still spoken of hhed ton or, more often, not at all.
" | Photo: Getty ImagGRIFFIN'S SEXUALITY AND DEATHMerv Griff was reportedly gay, and his sexualy was a well-known secret Hollywood. His fear of g out was ascribed to the possible effect on his reer when people did not accept homosexualy Hollywood. Sger Luther Vandross, wrer San Sontag and film director Ismail Merchant had all been acrd the privilege of “ng” by the prs, however open a secret their homosexualy had been while they were alive.
11 HISTORIL FIGUR YOU DIDN’T KNOW WERE GAY
Nil nisi bonum appears to be the le for edors, and notg that a ceased famo person was gay certaly seems to unt as speakg evil. Still, the lawsus brought out to the open, if briefly, what had long been known Hollywood: namely, that the divorced father of one, and highly visible public rt of Eva Gabor, was also gay.
The New York gay magaze Outweek troduced the practice of outg closeted public figur, mostly policians and show bs celebri who were unwillg to enlist the e of fightg AIDS. When proment publisher Mallm Forb died Febary 1990, the exposure of his homosexual si was not long g. The March 18, 1990, ver of OutWeek showed a photo of Mallm Forb on his motorcycle, wh the bold headle: “The Secret Gay Life of Mallm Forb.