Here is how your basic "Matt Ddge is a homosexual" gossip em reads: "I heard om a iend of a iend of a iend that Ddge is totally gay" and then that person c an terview Ddge gave to New Tim 2001, one of the few personal terviews Ddge has...
Contents:
- NEW BOOK NFIRMS MATT DDGE IS GAY
- HOW BILLY EICHNER BEME MATT DDGE ‘IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY’CHARACTER STUDYEICHNER TALKS ABOUT THE SURPRISG THGS HE AND DDGE HAVE MON, THE RIGHT-WG MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND CHANNELG THE MAN BENEATH THE FEDORA.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED SEP. 21, 2021 5:39AM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 21, 2021 5:11AM EDT TA THORPE/FX“EXCLUSIVE: BILLY EICHNER IS PERFECT CASTG AS MATT DDGE.”IT WOULDN’T BE A STRETCH TO IMAGE THAT HEADLE, OR SOMETHG LIKE —MAYBE WH “BOMBSHELL” OR “SCOOP” AS THE TEASE—SPLASHED ACROSS THE DDGE REPORT, THE NEWS WEBSE FOUND BY MATT DDGE. IN FACT, WHEN REVIEWS WERE FIRST PUBLISHED FOR IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY, THE FX SERI CHRONICLG THE MONI LEWSKY AND BILL CLTON SNDAL, DDGE ACTUALLY DID PUBLISH A VERSN OF THAT.“THE SE POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS DDGE AS ONE OF S MA STORI,” EICHNER TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, ‘DDGE STEALS THE SHOW’... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT.”IN IMPEACHMENT, EICHNER PLAYS THE JOURNALIST, WHO MIGHT BE CHARACTERIZED AS “REVERED” OR “NOTOR,” PENDG ON WHO IS TALKG ABOUT HIM. BUT WHAT’S UNNIABLE IS THAT HE WAS—AND IS—FLUENTIAL. ON THE OCSN OF THE SERI G OUT, APPEARS THE AGGREGATN KG IS KEEN FOR EVERYONE TO REMEMBER THAT. IN 1995, AS THE UNTRY WAS DIALG UP TO THE TER VIA AMERI ONLE ON MONSTRO SKTOP PUTERS, MATT DDGE STARTED DDGE REPORT, A GOSSIP LUMN THAT REGURGATED WHISPERS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND D.C. GOGS-ON WH AMPLIFIED HYSTERICS AND A RABID HUNGER FOR DIRT. WHAT STARTED AS A NEWSLETTER GREW TO A WEBSE THAT, BY 1998, HAD EXPLOD POPULARY AND HAD THE EAGER EY OF TSELTOWN AND BELTWAY PLAYERS.TAKG ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAPT ATTENTN, NOT TO MENTN THE FAST-AND-LOOSE EDORIAL STANDARDS OF POSTG ON THE TER, DDGE POSNED HIMSELF AT THE CENTER OF U.S. POLIL HISTORY. HE WAS THE ONE WHO PUBLISHED THAT NEWSWEEK REPORTER MICHAEL ISIKOFF WAS WORKG ON A STORY ABOUT U.S. PRINT BILL CLTON’S SECRET AFFAIR WH A WHE HOE TERN. IT GO WHOUT SAYG, THEN, THAT DDGE WOULD BE A PIVOTAL FIGURE IMPEACHMENT, THE THIRD ERATN OF RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN CRIME STORY SERI. AS WH THE PREV SEASONS, WHICH FOCED ON THE O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL AND ANDREW CUNANAN’S MURR SPREE, IMPEACHMENT REAM A NEWS STORY THAT BEME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON OM THE PERSPECTIV OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIV BEME FODR FOR A MEDIA FERNO.THAT MEANS THAT IMPEACHMENT, FALLY, GIV AN OVERDUE VOICE TO MONI LEWSKY (PLAYED BY BEANIE FELDSTE), WHOSE PERSPECTIVE AND OWN STORY WAS NEVER VALIDATED, LET ALONE AMPLIFIED, WHEN A BLUE DRS, A BERET, AND AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL PTIVATED THE WORLD. BUT THAT NEW NTEXT ALSO APPLI TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS THE ORB OF THE MASSIVE NEWS STORY, LIKE SARAH PLSON’S LDA TRIPP, ANALEIGH ASHFORD’S PLA JON, AND, THE FIRST EPISO TO FEATURE HIM A MAJOR WAY ON TUDAY NIGHT, EICHNER’S MATT DDGE.EICHNER, WHO BEME A HOEHOLD NAME WH THE POPULARY OF HIS GUERRILLA GAME SHOW BILLY ON THE STREET AND HAS SCE STARRED PARKS AND RECREATN, DIFFICULT PEOPLE, AND RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN HORROR STORY SERI, WAS SURPRISED WHEN MURPHY REACHED OUT ABOUT PLAYG DDGE IMPEACHMENT. BUT WHEN HE STARTED TO REARCH THE MEDIA FIGURE, “ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND UNNERVG THGS” THAT HE DISVERED, HE SAYS, IS HOW MUCH THE TWO OF THEM HAVE MON.OVER THE YEARS, DDGE HAS BEE AN INIC FIGURE TO NSERVATIV AND FANATICS ON THE FAR RIGHT. “OUR POLICS ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART, AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE,” EICHNER SAYS. BILLY EICHNER AS MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORYFX BUT THE ACTOR, WHO IS OPENLY GAY AND CURRENTLY PRODUCTN ON TWO HISTORIC STUD FILMS, WAS FASCATED THAT DDGE, WHO HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN RELATNSHIPS WH MEN AND, S AGO, WAS A REGULAR FIXTURE OF GAY BARS AND CLUBS, HAS SCE NIED BEG GAY. AT A TIME WHEN NSERVATIVE MEDIA STARS ARE CRAVEN FOR AIRTIME AND ATTENTN, DDGE HAS BEE SOMEWHAT OF A RECLE.WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, DDGE WAS REPORTEDLY OBSSED WH MADONNA AND WOULD BUY NEW ISSU OF VARIETY OFF OF THE NEWSSTAND SO THAT HE ULD CHECK OUT THE WEEKEND’S BOX-OFFICE RETURNS—A SHOWBIZ CURSY THAT EICHNER CERTALY INTIFI WH. “THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE [ON DDGE REPORT] LIKE, ‘WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!’ AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY ‘STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.’”ESPECIALLY GIVEN HIS MUTED PUBLIC PERSONA RECENT YEARS, EICHNER ENJOYED LVG TO DDGE’S PRE-DDGE REPORT DAYS—TUDAY’S EPISO OPENS SHOWG HIS TIME AS A MANAGER A CBS STUDS GIFT SHOP—AND EVENTUAL EMBRACE OF A MANNERED 1930S MUCKRAKER PERSONA, PLETE WH AN AFFECTED ACCENT MOLED AFTER WALTER WCHELL AND A FEDORA. (IN ONE SURREAL SCENE TUDAY’S EPISO OF IMPEACHMENT THAT TAK PLACE AT A PARTY THROWN BY LRA INGRAHAM, COBIE SMULRS’ ANN COULTER MEETS EICHNER’S DDGE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SAYS, “NICE HAT. IS SER?”)TAKG A BREAK OM PRODUCTN ON BROS, THE UPG GAY ROM- THAT MAK EICHNER THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO WRE AND STAR A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUD FILM, EICHNER TALKED TO THE DAILY BEAST ABOUT THE SURPRISG MONALI HE DISVERED WH DDGE, HIS IMPRSN OF THE MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND MUCH MORE.I AM EXCED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG MATT DDGE, WHO IS A PERSON I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG.IT WAS ALL PART OF MY GRAND PLAN. [LGHS] I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT.I IMAGE THAT ACTORS SOMETIM THK ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE PEOPLE THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO PLAY ONE DAY, AND I’M NOT SURE THAT MATT DDGE WOULD BE ON ANYONE’S RADAR. BUT IS KD OF A GREAT ROLE.IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT ROLE, Y. I MEAN, I CERTALY WASN’T EXPECTG . BUT ONE NIGHT I GOT AN EMAIL OM MR. MURPHY SAYG THAT HE WANTED ME TO PLAY MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT, AND I WAS SO EXCED. BEE ONCE I SAT DOWN TO THK ABOUT , I THOUGHT, “YOU KNOW WHAT, I THK THAT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD STG. THAT ACTUALLY MAK SENSE.” WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM BEFORE YOU WERE OFFERED THE PART?I DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE, BUT I AM THAT AGE GROUP OF MEDIA-SAVVY PEOPLE WHO ED TO N HOME AND IMMEDIATELY CHECK DDGE REPORT. THE WERE THE DAYS BEFORE IPHON AND BEFORE TWTER, AND DDGE REPORT IS REALLY WHAT YOU CHECKED ORR TO SEE WHAT THE HOTTT BREAKG NEWS WAS POLICS AND ENTERTAMENT AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHG. HE VERED ALL.DID YOU KNOW ANYTHG ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE?I DIDN’T KNOW A TON ABOUT DDGE’S PERSONAL LIFE. I HAD HEARD MORS OVER THE YEARS THAT HE WAS GAY. ONCE I HEARD THAT, MA SENSE TO ME BEE ONE THG I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS SO FUNNY ABOUT DDGE REPORT IS THAT JT SEEMS TO BE SURPRISGLY SKEWED TO A GAY MALE SENSIBILY, TERMS OF THE POP CULTURE THAT VERED. THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE LIKE, “WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!” AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY, “STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.” I REMEMBER HIM CHRONICLG MADONNA WHEN SHE SISTED ON PERFORMG THE DROWNED WORLD TOUR EVEN RIGHT AFTER 9/11. HE CHRONICLED MADONNA JT AS CLOSELY AS HE WOULD CHRONICLE WHAT WAS HAPPENG WASHGTON, D.C. HE WOULD VER THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK AS IF WAS A WAR.HE HAS NIED BEG GAY OVER THE YEARS, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT HIS RELATNSHIPS WH ME. HE’S SORT OF TALKED-ABOUT CIRCL ABOUT HIS SEXUALY.HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE. “HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE.” DID ANY OF THAT IMPACT HOW YOU PLAYED HIM?THERE’S CLEARLY A LACK OF FORT AROUND HIM DISCSG HIS SEXUALY PUBLICLY, OR NFIRMG OUTRIGHT PUBLICLY. I’LL BE HONT AND SAY HELPED ME NNECT. BEE ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND HONTLY UNNERVG THGS THAT I EXPERIENCED DOG REARCH ABOUT HIM WAS WHEN I READ ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, BEE I SWEAR WAS LIKE I ULD HAVE BEEN READG ABOUT MYSELF. THAT WAS REALLY SHOCKG TO ME BEE OUR POLICS, YOU KNOW, ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART. AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE.WHAT DID YOU HAVE MON WH HIM?WE WERE BOTH PEOPLE WHO E OM MIDDLE-CLASS FAI. WE’RE BOTH EAST COAST KIDS. HE GREW UP RIGHT OUTSI OF D.C. I GREW UP QUEENS, RIGHT OUTSI OF MANHATTAN. IT’S CLOSE, BUT ’S LIKE ’S ONE OF THOSE THGS LIKE ’S CLOSE, BUT SO FAR. YOU’RE JT DREAMG OF THE DAY YOU N ACTUALLY LIVE THE BIG CY AND NOT JT BE A HALF-HOUR AWAY.RIGHT. FEELG JT OUTSI THE ACTN AND WANTG TO BE .READG ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, I FOUND OUT HOW MUCH HE LOVED ENTERTAMENT AND TV. HE WAS OBSSED WH MADONNA. HE WAS OBSSED WH READG THE BOX OFFICE RULTS EVERY WEEKEND. ONE OF HIS IENDS TOLD A STORY ABOUT HOW, WHEN DDGE DISVERED VARIETY, HE WOULD GO TO THE NEWSSTAND EVEN AS A CHILD AND BUY . I LERALLY HAD THAT SAME EYE-OPENG EXPERIENCE AS A KID. IN THE LOL NEWSPAPER OR ON THE LOL TV NEWS, YOU WOULD GET THE TOP FIVE MOVI AT THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK. BUT THEN VARIETY YOU GOT THE TOP 50. I REMEMBER ALMOST FALLG OVER WHEN I REALIZED I HAD ACCS TO THAT RMATN. TAKG POP CULTURE THAT SERLY IS VERY RELATABLE.WE WEREN’T PLETELY ALIKE. THE MAN ALSO WALKED AROUND HIS HIGH SCHOOL WH THE FEDORA ON AND A NOTERD THAT SAID “PRS” HIGH SCHOOL. HE HAD THIS FASCATN WH THIS SORT OF WALTER WCHELL-STYLE, OLD-SCHOOL MUCKRAKG JOURNALISM.HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FEDORA?[LGHS] I KNEW WAS G, OBVLY. IT’S INIC FOR HIS PERSONA. ONE OF THE REASONS I’M SO THANKFUL FOR RYAN MURPHY IS BEE HE SE BEYOND THE PERSONA THAT PEOPLE WERE FIRST TRODUCED TO ME AS. BILLY ON THE STREET AND PARKS AND REC AND THE WHOLE, LIKE, SHOUTY GUY. RYAN ALWAYS SE BEYOND THAT AND THKS OF ME AS A REAL ACTOR, SO I LOVE THE CHANCE TO PUT ON A DIFFERENT TYPE OF STUME AND THE HAT. IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME GET TO CHARACTER.THE SCENE WHERE YOU AS MATT DDGE MEET COBIE SMULR’S ANN COULTER AT LRA INGRAHAM’S CKTAIL PARTY WAS LIKE A SURREAL MAD LIBS OF MEDIA FIGUR.I LOVED . IT WAS LIKE THIS NSERVATIVE CLASH OF THE TANS. LOOK, I’M A GUY WHO LOV THE MEDIA. I LOVE BLE NEWS. THROUGH BILLY ON THE STREET AND OTHER THGS, I’VE MET SO MANY FAMO ACTORS, BUT ONE OF THE TIM I WAS MOST STARSTCK WAS MEETG DANA BASH OM CNN AT THE WHE HOE CORRPONNTS’ DNER. IF I EVER MEET RACHEL MADDOW, I WOULD FALL OVER. THE WAY PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT BTS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT RACHEL MADDOW. SO PEOPLE LIKE DDGE AND ANN COULTER—AND LET ME BE CLEAR, MY POLICS DO NOT ALIGN WH THEIRS ANY WAY AND I FD THEM TO BE RATHER SPIBLE—BUT I N’T NY THE FACT THEY’RE A LTLE ENTERTAG. LDA TRIPP (SARAH PLSON) AND MONI LEWSKY (BEANIE FELDSTE) IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY FX IT’S TERTG THAT HE AND ANN COULTER HANDLED BEG THE SPOTLIGHT SO DIFFERENTLY.I DON’T THK HE WAS FORTABLE BEG FAMO. I THK MA HIM FEEL VULNERABLE AND MA HIM FEEL EXPOSED. AND HE REALLY BEME A RECLE. I MEAN, ’S HARD TO FD ANY FOOTAGE OF HIM RECENT YEARS, WHEREAS ANN COULTER HAS BEEN OMNIPRENT.WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE WHOLE WALTER WCHELL PERSONA?ONE NCERN I HAD WAS THAT YOUNGER PEOPLE WATCHG THIS SERI, OR PEOPLE WHO JT DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT DDGE, WOULD THK THAT I JT CID TO DO A WEIRD VOICE. BEE UNLIKE ANN COULTER, WHO’S ON TV ALL THE TIME, DDGE SHIED AWAY OM ON-MERA APPEARANC. SO I DID WORRY A LTLE B ABOUT THAT.DO YOU KNOW IF HE’S SAID ANYTHG OR HAD ANY REACTN TO YOU PLAYG HIM?I DON’T KNOW IF HE’S SEEN , BUT ONE OF THE MOST SURREAL AND PERFECT MOMENTS OF THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS LAST WEEK. THE DDGE REPORT POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS MATT DDGE ON DDGE REPORT AS ONE OF THE MA STORI. IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, “DDGE STEALS THE SHOW”... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT. IMAGE, BACK WHEN I WAS NNG HOME TO READ THOSE HEADL ON DDGE REPORT, THKG THAT ONE DAY THERE’LL BE A PICTURE OF ME NOT ONLY ON THE DDGE REPORT, BUT PLAYG MATT DDGE.THAT HAS TO BE SURREAL.IT’S BEYOND SURREAL. YOU TLY ULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED. SO, HE IS FELY AWARE OF . AND I DON’T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, BUT I HAVE A FEELG HE’S GETTG A KICK OUT OF . THAT’S MY GUT FEELG. KEV FALLON
- MATT DDGE MAK OUT'S GAY POWER LIST
- IS AMERIN COMMENTATOR MATT DDGE GAY? IS HE MARRIED OR DATG OR STILL SGLE? KNOW HERE!
- NEW BOOK NFIRMS MATT DDGE IS GAY, BUT NOBODY R BEE WE KNEW FOREVER
NEW BOOK NFIRMS MATT DDGE IS GAY
* is drudge gay *
Matt Ddge is gay. He has never officially e out and even had himself removed om lists of powerful gay people the past. This may be the worst kept secret among the LGBTQ muny, but Matt Ddge is reported to have been livg a gay liftyle sce at least high school.
Billy Eichner as Matt Ddge Impeachment: Amerin Crime StoryFX But the actor, who is openly gay and currently productn on two historic stud films, was fascated that Ddge, who has been reported to have been relatnships wh men and, s ago, was a regular fixture of gay bars and clubs, has sce nied beg gay.
”)Takg a break om productn on Bros, the upg gay rom- that mak Eichner the first openly gay man to wre and star a major Hollywood stud film, Eichner talked to The Daily Beast about the surprisg monali he disvered wh Ddge, his imprsn of the media figure’s gs about his sexualy, and much more. I had heard mors over the years that he was gay.
HOW BILLY EICHNER BEME MATT DDGE ‘IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY’CHARACTER STUDYEICHNER TALKS ABOUT THE SURPRISG THGS HE AND DDGE HAVE MON, THE RIGHT-WG MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND CHANNELG THE MAN BENEATH THE FEDORA.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED SEP. 21, 2021 5:39AM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 21, 2021 5:11AM EDT TA THORPE/FX“EXCLUSIVE: BILLY EICHNER IS PERFECT CASTG AS MATT DDGE.”IT WOULDN’T BE A STRETCH TO IMAGE THAT HEADLE, OR SOMETHG LIKE —MAYBE WH “BOMBSHELL” OR “SCOOP” AS THE TEASE—SPLASHED ACROSS THE DDGE REPORT, THE NEWS WEBSE FOUND BY MATT DDGE. IN FACT, WHEN REVIEWS WERE FIRST PUBLISHED FOR IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY, THE FX SERI CHRONICLG THE MONI LEWSKY AND BILL CLTON SNDAL, DDGE ACTUALLY DID PUBLISH A VERSN OF THAT.“THE SE POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS DDGE AS ONE OF S MA STORI,” EICHNER TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, ‘DDGE STEALS THE SHOW’... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT.”IN IMPEACHMENT, EICHNER PLAYS THE JOURNALIST, WHO MIGHT BE CHARACTERIZED AS “REVERED” OR “NOTOR,” PENDG ON WHO IS TALKG ABOUT HIM. BUT WHAT’S UNNIABLE IS THAT HE WAS—AND IS—FLUENTIAL. ON THE OCSN OF THE SERI G OUT, APPEARS THE AGGREGATN KG IS KEEN FOR EVERYONE TO REMEMBER THAT. IN 1995, AS THE UNTRY WAS DIALG UP TO THE TER VIA AMERI ONLE ON MONSTRO SKTOP PUTERS, MATT DDGE STARTED DDGE REPORT, A GOSSIP LUMN THAT REGURGATED WHISPERS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND D.C. GOGS-ON WH AMPLIFIED HYSTERICS AND A RABID HUNGER FOR DIRT. WHAT STARTED AS A NEWSLETTER GREW TO A WEBSE THAT, BY 1998, HAD EXPLOD POPULARY AND HAD THE EAGER EY OF TSELTOWN AND BELTWAY PLAYERS.TAKG ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAPT ATTENTN, NOT TO MENTN THE FAST-AND-LOOSE EDORIAL STANDARDS OF POSTG ON THE TER, DDGE POSNED HIMSELF AT THE CENTER OF U.S. POLIL HISTORY. HE WAS THE ONE WHO PUBLISHED THAT NEWSWEEK REPORTER MICHAEL ISIKOFF WAS WORKG ON A STORY ABOUT U.S. PRINT BILL CLTON’S SECRET AFFAIR WH A WHE HOE TERN. IT GO WHOUT SAYG, THEN, THAT DDGE WOULD BE A PIVOTAL FIGURE IMPEACHMENT, THE THIRD ERATN OF RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN CRIME STORY SERI. AS WH THE PREV SEASONS, WHICH FOCED ON THE O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL AND ANDREW CUNANAN’S MURR SPREE, IMPEACHMENT REAM A NEWS STORY THAT BEME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON OM THE PERSPECTIV OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIV BEME FODR FOR A MEDIA FERNO.THAT MEANS THAT IMPEACHMENT, FALLY, GIV AN OVERDUE VOICE TO MONI LEWSKY (PLAYED BY BEANIE FELDSTE), WHOSE PERSPECTIVE AND OWN STORY WAS NEVER VALIDATED, LET ALONE AMPLIFIED, WHEN A BLUE DRS, A BERET, AND AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL PTIVATED THE WORLD. BUT THAT NEW NTEXT ALSO APPLI TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS THE ORB OF THE MASSIVE NEWS STORY, LIKE SARAH PLSON’S LDA TRIPP, ANALEIGH ASHFORD’S PLA JON, AND, THE FIRST EPISO TO FEATURE HIM A MAJOR WAY ON TUDAY NIGHT, EICHNER’S MATT DDGE.EICHNER, WHO BEME A HOEHOLD NAME WH THE POPULARY OF HIS GUERRILLA GAME SHOW BILLY ON THE STREET AND HAS SCE STARRED PARKS AND RECREATN, DIFFICULT PEOPLE, AND RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN HORROR STORY SERI, WAS SURPRISED WHEN MURPHY REACHED OUT ABOUT PLAYG DDGE IMPEACHMENT. BUT WHEN HE STARTED TO REARCH THE MEDIA FIGURE, “ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND UNNERVG THGS” THAT HE DISVERED, HE SAYS, IS HOW MUCH THE TWO OF THEM HAVE MON.OVER THE YEARS, DDGE HAS BEE AN INIC FIGURE TO NSERVATIV AND FANATICS ON THE FAR RIGHT. “OUR POLICS ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART, AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE,” EICHNER SAYS. BILLY EICHNER AS MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORYFX BUT THE ACTOR, WHO IS OPENLY GAY AND CURRENTLY PRODUCTN ON TWO HISTORIC STUD FILMS, WAS FASCATED THAT DDGE, WHO HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN RELATNSHIPS WH MEN AND, S AGO, WAS A REGULAR FIXTURE OF GAY BARS AND CLUBS, HAS SCE NIED BEG GAY. AT A TIME WHEN NSERVATIVE MEDIA STARS ARE CRAVEN FOR AIRTIME AND ATTENTN, DDGE HAS BEE SOMEWHAT OF A RECLE.WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, DDGE WAS REPORTEDLY OBSSED WH MADONNA AND WOULD BUY NEW ISSU OF VARIETY OFF OF THE NEWSSTAND SO THAT HE ULD CHECK OUT THE WEEKEND’S BOX-OFFICE RETURNS—A SHOWBIZ CURSY THAT EICHNER CERTALY INTIFI WH. “THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE [ON DDGE REPORT] LIKE, ‘WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!’ AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY ‘STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.’”ESPECIALLY GIVEN HIS MUTED PUBLIC PERSONA RECENT YEARS, EICHNER ENJOYED LVG TO DDGE’S PRE-DDGE REPORT DAYS—TUDAY’S EPISO OPENS SHOWG HIS TIME AS A MANAGER A CBS STUDS GIFT SHOP—AND EVENTUAL EMBRACE OF A MANNERED 1930S MUCKRAKER PERSONA, PLETE WH AN AFFECTED ACCENT MOLED AFTER WALTER WCHELL AND A FEDORA. (IN ONE SURREAL SCENE TUDAY’S EPISO OF IMPEACHMENT THAT TAK PLACE AT A PARTY THROWN BY LRA INGRAHAM, COBIE SMULRS’ ANN COULTER MEETS EICHNER’S DDGE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SAYS, “NICE HAT. IS SER?”)TAKG A BREAK OM PRODUCTN ON BROS, THE UPG GAY ROM- THAT MAK EICHNER THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO WRE AND STAR A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUD FILM, EICHNER TALKED TO THE DAILY BEAST ABOUT THE SURPRISG MONALI HE DISVERED WH DDGE, HIS IMPRSN OF THE MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND MUCH MORE.I AM EXCED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG MATT DDGE, WHO IS A PERSON I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG.IT WAS ALL PART OF MY GRAND PLAN. [LGHS] I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT.I IMAGE THAT ACTORS SOMETIM THK ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE PEOPLE THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO PLAY ONE DAY, AND I’M NOT SURE THAT MATT DDGE WOULD BE ON ANYONE’S RADAR. BUT IS KD OF A GREAT ROLE.IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT ROLE, Y. I MEAN, I CERTALY WASN’T EXPECTG . BUT ONE NIGHT I GOT AN EMAIL OM MR. MURPHY SAYG THAT HE WANTED ME TO PLAY MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT, AND I WAS SO EXCED. BEE ONCE I SAT DOWN TO THK ABOUT , I THOUGHT, “YOU KNOW WHAT, I THK THAT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD STG. THAT ACTUALLY MAK SENSE.” WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM BEFORE YOU WERE OFFERED THE PART?I DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE, BUT I AM THAT AGE GROUP OF MEDIA-SAVVY PEOPLE WHO ED TO N HOME AND IMMEDIATELY CHECK DDGE REPORT. THE WERE THE DAYS BEFORE IPHON AND BEFORE TWTER, AND DDGE REPORT IS REALLY WHAT YOU CHECKED ORR TO SEE WHAT THE HOTTT BREAKG NEWS WAS POLICS AND ENTERTAMENT AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHG. HE VERED ALL.DID YOU KNOW ANYTHG ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE?I DIDN’T KNOW A TON ABOUT DDGE’S PERSONAL LIFE. I HAD HEARD MORS OVER THE YEARS THAT HE WAS GAY. ONCE I HEARD THAT, MA SENSE TO ME BEE ONE THG I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS SO FUNNY ABOUT DDGE REPORT IS THAT JT SEEMS TO BE SURPRISGLY SKEWED TO A GAY MALE SENSIBILY, TERMS OF THE POP CULTURE THAT VERED. THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE LIKE, “WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!” AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY, “STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.” I REMEMBER HIM CHRONICLG MADONNA WHEN SHE SISTED ON PERFORMG THE DROWNED WORLD TOUR EVEN RIGHT AFTER 9/11. HE CHRONICLED MADONNA JT AS CLOSELY AS HE WOULD CHRONICLE WHAT WAS HAPPENG WASHGTON, D.C. HE WOULD VER THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK AS IF WAS A WAR.HE HAS NIED BEG GAY OVER THE YEARS, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT HIS RELATNSHIPS WH ME. HE’S SORT OF TALKED-ABOUT CIRCL ABOUT HIS SEXUALY.HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE. “HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE.” DID ANY OF THAT IMPACT HOW YOU PLAYED HIM?THERE’S CLEARLY A LACK OF FORT AROUND HIM DISCSG HIS SEXUALY PUBLICLY, OR NFIRMG OUTRIGHT PUBLICLY. I’LL BE HONT AND SAY HELPED ME NNECT. BEE ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND HONTLY UNNERVG THGS THAT I EXPERIENCED DOG REARCH ABOUT HIM WAS WHEN I READ ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, BEE I SWEAR WAS LIKE I ULD HAVE BEEN READG ABOUT MYSELF. THAT WAS REALLY SHOCKG TO ME BEE OUR POLICS, YOU KNOW, ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART. AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE.WHAT DID YOU HAVE MON WH HIM?WE WERE BOTH PEOPLE WHO E OM MIDDLE-CLASS FAI. WE’RE BOTH EAST COAST KIDS. HE GREW UP RIGHT OUTSI OF D.C. I GREW UP QUEENS, RIGHT OUTSI OF MANHATTAN. IT’S CLOSE, BUT ’S LIKE ’S ONE OF THOSE THGS LIKE ’S CLOSE, BUT SO FAR. YOU’RE JT DREAMG OF THE DAY YOU N ACTUALLY LIVE THE BIG CY AND NOT JT BE A HALF-HOUR AWAY.RIGHT. FEELG JT OUTSI THE ACTN AND WANTG TO BE .READG ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, I FOUND OUT HOW MUCH HE LOVED ENTERTAMENT AND TV. HE WAS OBSSED WH MADONNA. HE WAS OBSSED WH READG THE BOX OFFICE RULTS EVERY WEEKEND. ONE OF HIS IENDS TOLD A STORY ABOUT HOW, WHEN DDGE DISVERED VARIETY, HE WOULD GO TO THE NEWSSTAND EVEN AS A CHILD AND BUY . I LERALLY HAD THAT SAME EYE-OPENG EXPERIENCE AS A KID. IN THE LOL NEWSPAPER OR ON THE LOL TV NEWS, YOU WOULD GET THE TOP FIVE MOVI AT THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK. BUT THEN VARIETY YOU GOT THE TOP 50. I REMEMBER ALMOST FALLG OVER WHEN I REALIZED I HAD ACCS TO THAT RMATN. TAKG POP CULTURE THAT SERLY IS VERY RELATABLE.WE WEREN’T PLETELY ALIKE. THE MAN ALSO WALKED AROUND HIS HIGH SCHOOL WH THE FEDORA ON AND A NOTERD THAT SAID “PRS” HIGH SCHOOL. HE HAD THIS FASCATN WH THIS SORT OF WALTER WCHELL-STYLE, OLD-SCHOOL MUCKRAKG JOURNALISM.HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FEDORA?[LGHS] I KNEW WAS G, OBVLY. IT’S INIC FOR HIS PERSONA. ONE OF THE REASONS I’M SO THANKFUL FOR RYAN MURPHY IS BEE HE SE BEYOND THE PERSONA THAT PEOPLE WERE FIRST TRODUCED TO ME AS. BILLY ON THE STREET AND PARKS AND REC AND THE WHOLE, LIKE, SHOUTY GUY. RYAN ALWAYS SE BEYOND THAT AND THKS OF ME AS A REAL ACTOR, SO I LOVE THE CHANCE TO PUT ON A DIFFERENT TYPE OF STUME AND THE HAT. IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME GET TO CHARACTER.THE SCENE WHERE YOU AS MATT DDGE MEET COBIE SMULR’S ANN COULTER AT LRA INGRAHAM’S CKTAIL PARTY WAS LIKE A SURREAL MAD LIBS OF MEDIA FIGUR.I LOVED . IT WAS LIKE THIS NSERVATIVE CLASH OF THE TANS. LOOK, I’M A GUY WHO LOV THE MEDIA. I LOVE BLE NEWS. THROUGH BILLY ON THE STREET AND OTHER THGS, I’VE MET SO MANY FAMO ACTORS, BUT ONE OF THE TIM I WAS MOST STARSTCK WAS MEETG DANA BASH OM CNN AT THE WHE HOE CORRPONNTS’ DNER. IF I EVER MEET RACHEL MADDOW, I WOULD FALL OVER. THE WAY PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT BTS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT RACHEL MADDOW. SO PEOPLE LIKE DDGE AND ANN COULTER—AND LET ME BE CLEAR, MY POLICS DO NOT ALIGN WH THEIRS ANY WAY AND I FD THEM TO BE RATHER SPIBLE—BUT I N’T NY THE FACT THEY’RE A LTLE ENTERTAG. LDA TRIPP (SARAH PLSON) AND MONI LEWSKY (BEANIE FELDSTE) IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY FX IT’S TERTG THAT HE AND ANN COULTER HANDLED BEG THE SPOTLIGHT SO DIFFERENTLY.I DON’T THK HE WAS FORTABLE BEG FAMO. I THK MA HIM FEEL VULNERABLE AND MA HIM FEEL EXPOSED. AND HE REALLY BEME A RECLE. I MEAN, ’S HARD TO FD ANY FOOTAGE OF HIM RECENT YEARS, WHEREAS ANN COULTER HAS BEEN OMNIPRENT.WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE WHOLE WALTER WCHELL PERSONA?ONE NCERN I HAD WAS THAT YOUNGER PEOPLE WATCHG THIS SERI, OR PEOPLE WHO JT DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT DDGE, WOULD THK THAT I JT CID TO DO A WEIRD VOICE. BEE UNLIKE ANN COULTER, WHO’S ON TV ALL THE TIME, DDGE SHIED AWAY OM ON-MERA APPEARANC. SO I DID WORRY A LTLE B ABOUT THAT.DO YOU KNOW IF HE’S SAID ANYTHG OR HAD ANY REACTN TO YOU PLAYG HIM?I DON’T KNOW IF HE’S SEEN , BUT ONE OF THE MOST SURREAL AND PERFECT MOMENTS OF THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS LAST WEEK. THE DDGE REPORT POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS MATT DDGE ON DDGE REPORT AS ONE OF THE MA STORI. IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, “DDGE STEALS THE SHOW”... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT. IMAGE, BACK WHEN I WAS NNG HOME TO READ THOSE HEADL ON DDGE REPORT, THKG THAT ONE DAY THERE’LL BE A PICTURE OF ME NOT ONLY ON THE DDGE REPORT, BUT PLAYG MATT DDGE.THAT HAS TO BE SURREAL.IT’S BEYOND SURREAL. YOU TLY ULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED. SO, HE IS FELY AWARE OF . AND I DON’T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, BUT I HAVE A FEELG HE’S GETTG A KICK OUT OF . THAT’S MY GUT FEELG. KEV FALLON
Once I heard that, ma sense to me bee one thg I always thought was so funny about Ddge Report is that jt seems to be surprisgly skewed to a gay male sensibily, terms of the pop culture that vered. He would ver the box office every week as if was a has nied beg gay over the years, even though people have spoken about his relatnships wh me.
He’s sort of talked-about circl about his has been y over the years about his sexualy, though there are many people who noted for the rerd that he has had boyiends, he is gay, and that he ed to love gog to gay bars and gay clubs when he was younger D.
“He has been y over the years about his sexualy, though there are many people who noted for the rerd that he has had boyiends, he is gay, and that he ed to love gog to gay bars and gay clubs when he was younger D. Here is how your basic "Matt Ddge is a homosexual" gossip em reads: "I heard om a iend of a iend of a iend that Ddge is totally gay" and then that person c an terview Ddge gave to New Tim 2001, one of the few personal terviews Ddge has... Here is how your basic "Matt Ddge is a homosexual" gossip em reads: "I heard om a iend of a iend of a iend that Ddge is totally gay" and then that person c an terview Ddge gave to New Tim 2001, one of the few personal terviews Ddge has ever given.
MATT DDGE MAK OUT'S GAY POWER LIST
Junr Vasquez, the reigng DJ kg of gay circu parti?
See, the powerful right-wg news aggregator that ns the media through The Ddge Report om two Miami abos is a total gay, bee he lik hoe he has ma Out's 50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women Ameri.
For years, ter publisher Matt Ddge has rpond to qutns about his reported homosexualy by obftg and dodgg.
IS AMERIN COMMENTATOR MATT DDGE GAY? IS HE MARRIED OR DATG OR STILL SGLE? KNOW HERE!
) a reactn om the tight-lipped protoblogger to an em Out that said the Ddge Report proprietor "happens to love Chaka Khan, The Young and the Rtls, and sex wh men" but is homophobic and anti-abortn-rights.
My se is not anti-gay.
NEW BOOK NFIRMS MATT DDGE IS GAY, BUT NOBODY R BEE WE KNEW FOREVER
"The b about not lovg gay sex is a red herrg: Ddge has never been said to particularly relish his homosexualy or embrace ; fact his gay romantic/sexual si has been scribed (when alleged) as nflicted and Brock, the former right-wg wrer, wrote his memoir Bld by the Right about a "sry" date which Ddge, after brgg Brock flowers and navigatg the Santa Moni gay strip "like a pro, " stepped on a petg suor's foot "really hard" ( Ddge's purported words) a nightclub to sre him away om Brock. "Given his purported bumblg of the matter, 's entirely nceivable that Matt Ddge has gay sex whout "lovg" , at least on a level he n adm to himself, or furtive gay relatnships that stop well short of that sort of his part, Ddge has historilly sought to blur the issue of his sexualy, tendg to portray himself ambiguo or asexual terms. " Ddge nied he was gay to the Miami New Tim 2001, even as he lnched to a disquisn on (as the New Tim put ) "the reigng DJ kg of gay circu parti" and summarized his nightlife thly: "I go to straight bars, I go to gay bars.