Active

13 July 2026

“But I, you know, had to hire a
professional to teach me how to bottom.”
– Billy Porter admits that in his younger years,
he was a total top (mostly a “fear-based response”).
“But by 30, I was ready to be versatile.” And he never looked back!

Last week, people started talking about the Emmys, which begs the question – is it time for the Emmys already? Nope. They don’t take place until September 14^th. But they announced the name of the host – Mariska Hargitay. Out of left field? Perhaps. But she is a bona fide television star. One might call her an icon (although I wouldn’t be that one). She just wrapped her limited run in the Broadway production of Every Brilliant Thing, replacing Daniel Radcliffe – talk about range! Every Brilliant Thing is now starring Tracee Ellis Ross. I shudder to think…

Back to the Emmys. Nominations were announced, and one nod took me aback (which I typically like) – Connor Storrie. Talk about a back!). Sure, he made a splash on Heated Rivalry, but this nod was for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series stemming from hosting Saturday Night Live. Again…range. What about Heated Rivalry? The show was shut out for good reason – since it was a Canadian production, it didn’t qualify. I know many of you will ask about other foreign shows that have won Emmys. But they only qualify if they’re a co-production with a US company. While HR is on HBO Max, it was made for the Canadian network, Crave.

This leads to an inevitable Hudson Williams story. He has a tiny cameo in a short film wearing a skimpy costume. The flick, Human Nature, premiered at the Run N Gun Film Festival – my invite clearly got lost in the mail. Williams’ appearance in one of those Borat “mankinis” helped the snippet to win the coveted Audience Choice Award. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Hudson was removed from a Peloton ad campaign after a photo of him as a teen surfaced where a bunch of symbols and slogans are drawn on his face – including a swastika and the word AIDS. The underaged Hudson claims he was completely unaware of what his friends had drawn on his face. “The markings do not and have never reflected Hudson’s beliefs, values or character.” If we’ve learned nothing, please remember – friends don’t use Sharpies on friends’ faces!

Another of our favorites made a stir in a short film. Zane Phillips appears in Something Still, which features the hunk in a steamy three-way. Like I always say – stick with your strengths, Tracee! Although the short has turned up at a few film festivals, and some footage has appeared on lesser sites, the full flick has found its way to BillyMasters.com. You’re welcome.

Cher is poised to become an animated character. And who didn’t see this coming? She is in talks to team up with Bob Geldof (of Live Aid fame) to participate in an animated feature called Fly Squad – First Strike!. It’s about three insects who enter a chemical plant to find an antidote to a toxin that could kill them all. Perhaps they should have called it The Last Roundup – but perhaps that’s too on the nose. Cher’s character would be the mother of the main insect, while Geldof plays an insect rocker organizing Insect Aid. Why not ask Joan Collins to reprise her memorable role in Empire of the Ants? I smell a hit – or maybe it’s just citronella!

One of my favorite performers is the luminous Susanna Hoffs (both as a solo artist and with The Bangles). She’s announced two gigs that couldn’t be more different. From September 10-16, she will be opening for Billy Idol’s It’s a Nice Day To…Tour Again tour. Then, from September 21-26, she’ll be at the famed Café Carlyle in NYC. For a singer-songwriter who enjoys connecting with an audience, this is a perfect gig (her colleague Belinda Carlisle was announced for a two-week run at the legendary venue – Carlisle at the Carlyle – during the summer of 2020, which was cancelled due to Covid). Here’s another coincidence – back in 2022, The Go-Go’s were announced to open for Idol on a UK tour. That tour was cancelled due to Idol’s health.

Speaking of Belinda, she just wrapped up as a special guest for Take That’s The Circus Live stadium tour in the UK. But, fear not – she’s got some special stateside gigs coming up. She returns to host and perform at her annual Belinda Carlisle’s Animal People Alliance Christmas Party at The Abbey in West Hollywood. The show is a bit early this year – December 3^rd. But, you know, she’s a busy gal! Also appearing at the gig will be Debbie Gibson and Carson Kressley – forever thwarting rumors that they are the same person. Back to Belinda – she’ll then do a few shows on the east coast as part of her Heavenly Hits tour. On December 30^th, she’s at Palladium Times Square in NYC. On New Year’s Eve, she’ll be at the Ridgefield Playhouse in CT. Then she’s in Bethlehem, PA on January 2^nd. Get your tickets early.

For the past couple of months, we’ve been monitoring the precarious health of Bonnie Tyler. Back in May, she was hospitalized in Portugal, which led to intestinal surgery and a medically induced coma. At the time, doctors were optimistic for a full recovery. She even reportedly awoke from her coma. Alas, last week her condition deteriorated. She passed away at 75.

We already told you about the Atlantis cruise that was banned from Turkish ports – much to the ire of Miss Patti LuPone, who has never been one to go quietly into that good night. Due to the scheduling snafu, the ship added stops in Cairo and Crete. Alas, even that was not smooth sailing. Cruisers woke up to this notice: “Early this morning, we were informed that Scarlet Lady has been denied entry into Egyptian waters, and, as a result will no longer be able to call into Alexandria today. I know how much this visit meant to so many of you. We successfully sailed a similar itinerary last year without issue.” Our very own Todrick Hall was on board and was not amused – “We’re stranded in the middle of the ocean,” he said, as if he was on the Costa Concordia! We’re told that the cruise continued to Crete, where I assume the Greeks were far more accommodating.

Parliament House in Orlando, Florida was a legendary complex known for accommodating gents of all ethnicities since 1975. Like many other things, Parliament was a casualty of Covid and shuttered in November of 2020. Since then, there have been numerous announcements of a new location, a grand reopening, a new chapter. This is another one of those stories. The new Parliament House will allegedly open at 29 South Orange Avenue in Orlando – less than two miles away from the classic location on Orange Blossom Trail. This venue was formerly a comedy club, and while many things happened at the original location, laughter was rarely one of them (except when my play Hollywood Uncovered ran there in 2002). More details are slated to be announced “soon” – a date I don’t have on my calendar. But we do know that the new location will not be a hotel/resort – it will simply be a nightclub. The owners cited the Pulse Nightclub massacre and said, “We’re going to make it very special again and give them, hopefully, what the community wants and makes them feel safe again.”.

Sometimes things come back. And then there’s the DataLounge – a somewhat notorious gossip website that started about a year after I began writing this column (things that make you go hmm). It’s been so many years since I’ve heard anyone mention it, I just assumed it went the way of the Big Wheel and Perez Hilton. So color me Barbra when the site announced an imminent closing next month. This inevitably brings up that philosophical question – if a website nobody goes to suddenly shuts down, has anything actually even happened?

Our Ask Billy question is about something you’d expect me to know nothing about. Henry in Chicago writes, “What do you know about the gorgeous captain of the Norwegian soccer team?”

Picture it – Billy Masters sitting down to watch not one but two soccer games in their entirety. That was how I returned from Europe. More shocking – I enjoyed myself. And not because of the hot men (shock number three), but because I enjoyed the game. Where else can you watch 90 minutes of continuous action and end with a score of zero to zero? Talk about a nail biter! Of course, the Norwegians scored points during the FIFA quarterfinals thanks to Erling Haaland. The blond god is 6’5” and turns 26 on July 21. While Henry didn’t ask, Erling is reportedly straight and has a girlfriend. He also has an enormous collection of Hermès bags, including Birkins. Maybe it’s a Nordic thing – like the horns or the man bun! Sexual preference aside, I suspect Haaland would be quite flattered by your attention, so why not flatter him some more with some hot photos on BillyMasters.com.

When we’re revealing a Viking’s hammer, it’s time to end yet another column. Looking at those photos, I’m inclined to hammer in the morning and the evening all over this land. Fun Fact – who knew Vikings were circumcised? That’s just one of the things you’ll discover on BillyMasters.com – the site that can be seen…even during a total eclipse. As we went to press, news of the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham was announced – I believe by his close business associate, Benji. See? Unlike other defunct outlets, we cover everything. So send your questions along to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Atlantis schedules a Scandinavian excursion! So, until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.

Email to Billy

Active

Recent Posts