Our Ask Billy question comes from Jared in San Francisco: “Everyone online is talking about Adele‘s hot bodyguard.  Have you seen him?  He’s gotta be gay – or at least done gay porn!”

Prior to guarding Adele’s body, Peter van der Veen did a similar job for Lady Gaga.  And before that, Petey was a competitive bodybuilder.  In fact, he was crowned Mr. Europe in 2005.  How he went from posing in a puny pouch to carrying Adele’s puppy is a question I cannot answer.  I also cannot tell you if he’s gay or not.  But you can enjoy a plethora of sexy pics on BillyMasters.com – including one where he puts one of Gaga’s fans in a chokehold!

One of the big stories this week is a revelation about Dame Elizabeth Taylor, courtesy of her good friend, Kathy Ireland.  Ireland reveals that at one point, Taylor’s Bel-Air home was a place where people with HIV could get drugs smuggled in from other countries – kinda like a Dallas Buyers Club.  Of this, I have no doubt – anyone who knew Elizabeth knew she not only talked the talk, but walked the walk….well, when she could walk.  When she couldn’t, she rode the ride.  And as someone who had been to her Bel-Air abode, I can tell you that it was a veritable bathhouse – gay men frolicked to and fro.  The first time I was there, I think I saw someone wearing the Cleopatra headdress!  Ireland says Liz funded the purchases in an unusual way.  “She would sell jewelry, there were transfers of money, sometimes there would be a paper bag and there would be money.”  Good for you, Lizzie!

Every time the topic of The Danish Girl came up in conversation, I told people that the film was originally going to star Nicole Kidman instead of Eddie Redmayne.  I told this story to oodles of people and, since I say most things with enormous authority and conviction, nobody ever questioned me.  Then one person said, “That doesn’t sound right.  Are you sure?”  Hmm – could I be wrong?  Had I been (inadvertently) disseminating incorrect information?  Me?  Who prides himself on accuracy as much as being multi-orgasmic?  Once again, hands on keyboard.  PHEW, I was right.  When the project was announced in 2009, Variety said that Gwyneth Paltrow would play Greta and Nicole Kidman would play Einar.  Once Gwyneth dropped out (some issue about location shooting), Uma briefly replaced her.  But why did Nicole leave the project?  Who knows – these things happen all the time.  Sister Act was written for Bette Midler and ended up starring Whoopi Goldberg, and they are certainly not the same type.  But, to be fair, I’d have bought Kidman as transgendered in a hot minute!

You gotta take the good with the bad.  And this week, it was all bad for those of you who were waiting to find fault with The Wiz: Live.  The Peacock Network finally got it right.  There was really nothing to bitch about.  I guess you’ll have to wait until FOX‘s version of Grease.  I can already read those reviews: “The cast members are older than most high school teachers”, or “Derek Hough would have made a more feminine Sandy”.  Back to The Wiz: Live – this was the slickest of NBC‘s annual endeavors.  And speaking of slick, how did I never realize that the Tin Man is singing about lube?  It was like a three-minute commercial for WET.  “Slide some oil to me, let it trickle down my spine.  If you don’t have STP, Crisco will do just fine.”  Crisco?  Well, it was the ’70s.

For the most part, the cast was superb.  How great to see Stephanie Mills doing…well, anything.  And I really liked Mary J. Blige, although I think someone lent her the dress Patti LaBelle wore as the Acid Queen in the 1989 version of Tommy: Live (look it up).  But I know the question all of you have – what the hell happened to Toto?  After Dorothy got to Oz, that damn dog disappeared!  Did Dorothy have some Vietnamese neighbors?  Since I have nothing but time (and oil) on my hands, I investigated.  In the original Broadway production of The Wiz, they had trouble training the dog, so he was written out once Dorothy left Kansas.  Other viewers were annoyed at the lack of rainbow casting in this show.  Uh, you might not have noticed, but Toto was WHITE!

Time for the first of Billy’s Holiday Gift Giving Suggestions.  For the next few weeks, I will be suggesting items which would make great gifts for you and yours.  Our first suggestion is something both old and new.  When the film of The Wiz came out at the end of 1979, most critics felt it was lacking.  But nobody had any problems with the vocal performance of Miss Ross.  The musical generated a two-LP soundtrack, but what many people don’t know is that Diane also recorded most of the songs from the show for a solo album.  When the film tanked, the solo was scrapped and forgotten.  The new television version helped revive interest in Ross’ renditions, so you can now buy Diana Ross Sings Songs from The Wiz.  The bad news is that the recording is only being sold as a digital download – which is ironic, since Miss Ross is still trying to figure out where to insert the crank from her Victrola into an MP3 player.

Every year, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS releases additions to their Broadway Legends ornament collection.  This year, Barbra Streisand joins the previously-released renderings of Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews and Gwen Verdon.  Not only is it a great gift, but it helps a great cause.  Check them out at BroadwayCares.org.

We have time for a quick Ask Billy question.  Charles in London writes, “We just got Scream Queens.  I didn’t know Lucien Laviscount was in it.  He’s a big deal in the UK.  I think there are some nude photos of him out there.”

Laviscount is best known for roles on the UK shows Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Celebrity Big Brother.  On Scream Queens, he plays the ironically named Earl Grey.  The very impressive photos allegedly come from a nude Skype call – been there, done that.  You can see the pics (of him, not me) on BillyMasters.com.

Award-winning director Michael Lucas has been slapped with a lawsuit by a woman whose house he rented via Airbnb.  According to Kristina Knapic, she rented out her mansion in Ojai (where I believe The Bionic Woman lived) to a woman named Anna who said she would be staying there with two friends.  Knapic alleges that Lucas showed up claiming to be Anna’s brother-in-law.  According to the complaint, the house was trashed during their stay, and she found “urine, semen and fecal matter on the linens, carpets, upholstery, walls, ceilings and in the hot tub.”  It sounds like she went through the place with one of those special blue flashlights!  She also claimed “enema kits were found throughout the house – on the floors, in the beds, in nightstand drawers and in the trash.”  How many enemas do three people need?  She also states that the hot tub was “brownish in color”.  Let us take a moment to digest that, shall we?

Lucas responded by saying the lawsuit is without merit and that Knapic is a “professional extortionist”.  He says that while he was in the mansion, she was in the guest house on the property and could see anything and everything going on.  He produced text messages indicating that the owner’s representative did a final walk-thru and found the house in good order.  Being a smart cookie, Lucas also took photos and videos of the property before and after his stay, which substantiate his claim.  He also reveals one little factoid not listed in the lawsuit – the mansion contains a “fairly well-equipped sex dungeon in the basement, complete with a sex swing, whips, chains and miscellaneous bondage paraphernalia”.  I didn’t know Sondheim owned a house in Ojai!

Just when you thought you heard it all, the Charlie Sheen HIV story takes an unexpected turn.  According to RadarOnline, there is what is being touted as a “gay sex video” starring Sheen.  A reporter for that media outlet claims to have personally seen three different video clips – totaling roughly 90 seconds long.  It supposedly shows Charlie smoking crack in a hotel room, looking right into the camera, and then sucking the dick of an unidentified guy.  That’s an awful lot of action for 90 seconds!  We hear that the video was leaked because the guy being serviced says that Sheen gave him herpes.  Didn’t I make a joke about that last week?  My God – I’m not only a gossip columnist, I’m also psychic!

If this scenario sounds familiar, that’s because it was part of an anonymous lawsuit against an A-list celebrity male worth in excess of $100 million who was spreading herpes.  The Plaintiff claims that these events took place in Las Vegas in 2011.  The suit claims that Sheen “entered into a nefarious plot designed to lure Plaintiff into his luxurious hotel room to serve his prurient desires.”  Who wrote this lawsuit?  Dame Barbara Cartland?  Nefarious?  Prurient?  We are talking about Las Vegas – where you can give a blow job to hotel employees in an elevator!  After Charlie assured the guy that he didn’t have any diseases, the guy says they partook of the following activities: “mutual oral copulation, mutual self-gratification, rubbing and massaging each other, play-wrestling, licking and (unprotected) intercourse.”  Where the hell is THAT video?????  ‘Cause all of that should take more than 90 seconds!  To make matters more complicated, other parties claim that the suit was settled out of court (for millions of dollars, allegedly), and the only copy of the video was destroyed.  Hmm.

This leads into our Ask Billy question perfectly.  Nicholas from Rhode Island writes, “I just saw the ads for Lord of the Dance on Broadway.  Is that really what Michael Flatley looks like today?  Isn’t he like a hundred?  He looks incredible.”

To be accurate, the show is called Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games.  And, while I hate to dash your dreams, the guy in the photo is dancer James Keegan.  The sexy 28-year-old is described as Flatley’s protégé – a word which, to quote Sue Ann Nivens, comes from the French, meaning “Your place or mine?”.  While I don’t know much about Keegan except that he’s really hot, we’ll post some sexy snaps of him on our website.  Fear not, fans of Flatley.  A new Lord of the Dance doesn’t mean that Mikey has hung up his step shoes.  In fact, he makes a brief appearance at the end of each show throughout its limited run (it closes on January 3rd).  While this marks Flatley’s Broadway debut, he swears it will also be his swan song as a performer.  We’ll see about that…

Reid Ewing, who plays Dylan on Modern Family, just went public with a struggle of his own – he has body dysmorphia and has been addicted to plastic surgery.  He wanted to look more like Brad Pitt when he moved to LA in 2008.  So he got cheek implants – because, apparently, that’s the only thing separating us from Brad Pitt!  After the surgery, pain, recovery, and swelling, he felt he looked worse than before.  He had cheekbones, but now the bottom of his face looked sunken.  Several surgeries later, he still didn’t look like Brad Pitt.  “Each procedure would cause a new problem that I would have to fix with another procedure.  Anyone who has had a run-in with bad cosmetic surgery knows this is true.  I vowed I would never get cosmetic surgery again even though I was still deeply insecure about my looks.  It took me about six months before I was comfortable with people even looking at me.”  He must have gotten over it in time to star in the 2013 film 10 Rules For Sleeping Around where he not only shows all (yes, I do mean all), he is even mounted by a particularly amorous border collie!  Maybe the dog thought he was Brad Pitt!  You can decide for yourself when you check out BillyMasters.com.

Fans of Ben Cohen are in mourning.  The 37-year-old rugby player, anti-bullying advocate, and friend of the gays has announced that he will NOT be releasing a 2016 calendar.  Why?  “I’m back training hard in the gym which is killing me.  No calendar this year as I’m to [sic] out of shape.  Have a good Friday all.”  This summer, Cohen’s weight gain got the attention of the British tabloids, leading him to Tweet some of the unflattering photos with the caption, “Eaten way to [sic] many burgers.  Need to get back into shape!!  Or maybe it was just the camera angle.  Lol.”  I’m told that some people close to Cohen tried to convince him to release a calendar with older, more flattering photos.  Others even suggested some judicious Photoshopping.  Cohen nixed these ideas, saying it would be “misleading and wrong”.  If looking good via Photoshop is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

One of the hottest-selling desserts this year is Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie. The 21-ounce pie is being sold for under four bucks exclusively at Walmart, but good luck finding one. Most locations are sold out and not expected to have more until the second week of December. The feeding frenzy started when a fan, James Wright, made a video of himself tasting the pie. The pie was so good, it made Wright burst out singing and testifying like he was wearing a church hat! The video went viral, was viewed by over 3 million people, and the pies sold like hotcakes – if, indeed, pies can sell like hotcakes. For three days, Walmart was selling one pie every second! Some people are so nefarious, they are reselling the pies on eBay for as little as $15 and as much as $12K! While Patti’s happy for the attention, she wants everyone to know that the success is not because of the video – it’s because she’s made a great pie. Good luck getting your hands on one.

The London production of Les Miserables just celebrated its 30th anniversary.  As is typical of these events, original cast members joined the cast after the curtain calls.  While she missed the 25th anniversary, Patti LuPone (the original Fantine) was on hand to sing “I Dreamed a Dream”.  Midway, out came Rachelle Ann Go (the current Fantine).  Then the original Eponine, Frances Ruffelle, started singing “On My Own”.  Rounding out the quartet was the current Eponine, Carrie Hope Fletcher.  Although the video has disappeared from the Internet, you can see it on BillyMasters.com.

These days, the line between mainstream and porn is blurred regularly.  But even I was shocked to read about a scandal regarding a gay adult flick and Sir John Gielgud!  Way back in 1976, the venerable actor wrote a script for Peter de Rome, a notable figure in the history of gay porn.  How Gielgud knew de Rome is unknown.  But, hey, if I can have Sophia Loren on speed dial, anything’s possible.  The heretofore unknown script, Trouser Bar, was unearthed by David McGillivray, who came across it while researching a documentary about de Rome.  He says, “John Gielgud was obsessed with trousers, loved corduroy and leather.  And so he wrote a film set in a menswear shop.”  McGillivray has filmed the script but, since he’s not a director, he hired one – the notable gay porn auter Kristen Bjorn.  The flick begins with actors Nigel Havers, Julian Clary, and Barry Cryer on a sidewalk watching a gay orgy inside a men’s shop.  McGillivray calls the 22-minute silent film an “erotic fantasy”.

Predictably, the Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust is not thrilled about this and has denied permission for the film to be exhibited.  Here’s the problem – there is not a single mention of this script in Gielgud’s letters or diaries.  In fact, he doesn’t appear to have ever written another screenplay.  But by this organization seeking to ban the film, they’re confirming that Sir John Gielgud actually wrote it.  For the time being, McGillivray’s flick remains under wraps, which is fine by him.  He’s planning a new documentary which he’ll trot out to film festivals next year.  Inside Leg: The Making of Trouser Bar will fully detail the history of the project.  Without even trying, the Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust has given McGillivray and his dirty movie thousands of dollars of free advertising.  Banned or not, we have some stills from the short on BillyMasters.com.

For the last few years, Nick Jonas has been courting gay fans with performances in gay bars, provocative pictorials, and supportive sound clips – to say nothing of actually playing gay in the series Kingdom and Scream Queens.  He even jumped in at the last minute to headline Pittsburgh Pride.  I’m not criticizing any of this.  In fact, I applaud his efforts.  But I think there’s a “gay baiting” aspect to this – a kinda deliberate teasing.  There’s the insinuation that he not only enjoys the attention of his gay fans, but perhaps harbors some secret desires of his own.  Those hints got a bit more explicit last week.  At the Radio One Teen Awards in London, Nick was asked about gay sex.  “Well, I’m gay in Kingdom.  If you keep watching the series you’ll see more of that.”  He was then asked point blank if he’s ever hooked up with guys.  “I can’t say if I have or haven’t, but if you watch the show you’ll see more of that.”  Oy!

The champagne was flowing last week at the 2015 Marine Corps Ball in Wilmington, NC.  And one couple made quite a splash.  As we previously reported, Sgt. Tanner White made a video inviting gay singer Steve Grand to accompany him.  And Grand accepted.  The banner evening was well-documented by the sexy singer on Instagram, including a pre-festivity outing, touring a battleship, and dressing for the occasion.  In addition to some snaps of the handsome couple all gussied up (including dashing Sgt. White in his dress best), there’s a photo that appears to show Grand sitting on White’s lap.  Hopefully he had a ball and didn’t sit on one!  Check them out on our website.

Our Ask Billy question sounded familiar.  Cary from Dallas asked, “You never write about Chris Zylka.  He’s so hot on The Leftovers.  And he even showed his penis.  What more do you need?”

If this sounds familiar, it’s because Cary from Dallas previously wrote to me about Chris Zylka almost five years ago to the day!  Back then, Zylka was in The Secret Circle, a show I’d never heard of and one which quickly disappeared from TheCW.  But I most certainly remembered the Hannah Montana alum from Gregg Araki‘s Kaboom, where he showed all as the hunky roomie of the delicious Thomas Dekker (who, as it turns out, was also on The Secret Circle).  In the HBO series The Leftovers, Zylka not only continues to flaunt his fantastic physique, but also those extra inches.  How many inches?  A soft four, which could turn into a impressive amount once aroused.  In addition to his penis, the 30-year-old is maturing rather nicely, as you’ll see on BillyMasters.com.

Anderson Cooper walked a red carpet with his beau – and they were holding hands!  SHOCKING!  Coop ain’t often in the company of the dashing Benjamin Maisani, so that in itself was notable.  And this wasn’t just any red carpet.  It was the Elton John AIDS Foundation‘s 14th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit.  Well, if you’re gonna hold your boyfriend’s hand, that’s the place to do it.  But they weren’t joined at the hip.  Andy Cohen made sure everyone knew that he’s the one Cooper usually hangs with – he all but peed on him (which he may or may not have enjoyed).  And they got to spend time with Gus Kenworthy.  In a photo of the three of them, Andy looks like he’s giving Gus the eye – or maybe it was Cohen’s wonky eye.  Either way, the newly-out Olympian didn’t seem to mind.  In fact, he posted the pic on Instagram with the following caption: “For dinner at the EJAF gala they were serving up some silver-fox sandwich realness.  Lol!  Pleasure to be seated at a table with these two handsome gents.”

You know what it means when someone calls you a gent?  You ain’t gettin’ any…that’s what it means.  But Andy-squared shouldn’t take it personally.  Kenworthy recently revealed that he’s taken.  He confirmed to People magazine that he’s seeing someone.  But he was quick to add, “It’s still new”.  Stay tuned.

On the way home from the gala, I stopped at the gym.  Since I hadn’t gone for two days, I felt a gallon of cobbler required at least 30 minutes on the treadmill.  I had on CNN and learned a startling fact – Lisa Ling was high as a kite during most of her time at The View.  In the midst of reporting about drug use at music festivals, she admitted that throughout most of her 20s, she was typically at all-night raves in NYC.  “Those who knew me in the ’90s during my party days are often able to do a particular impression of me while at a rave.  It goes something like this: massive ear-to-ear grin, teeth gleaming and eyes that read total bliss.  It was the look of someone really high.”  the look of someone really high.”  Apparently, the real Ling Thing was Ecstasy!  And we thought Lisa was the anti-Matenopoulos.

Jane was honored at the 46th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards for LA’s LGBT Center.  This swanky soirée was attended by well over 1,200 – most of whom paid upwards of $1K.  And then there’s me – since I was there to write about it, I was shoved into an empty seat.  On my right was Greg Hernandez from GregInHollywood.com – a site I check out regularly.  Every day he writes about things I enjoy reading, but clearly would not fit within the confines of a weekly column.  We kibitzed while Lily Tomlin paid tribute to her buddy Jane Fonda, whom she called a “vagina warrior”!  This presentation took place shortly after we sat down and while they were serving the salad.  Turns out, Jane had to be out at 9PM.  Better people, or a plane to Paris to catch – I heard both stories.  Lily stayed till the bitter end.  Along the way, Linda Perry sang and auctioned off an autographed piano for the second year in a row.  Miley Cyrus helped out by licking the piano until someone bid $50K.  I don’t know who I was more concerned for – Miley, who could get a splinter, or the next piano player, who could get syphilis!  But she got her bid, and the winner got a prescription for Cipro!

Then Miley talked about the Center.  She’s visited it.  She’s met with the youth.  She seems to really connect with them because, let’s face it, without Hannah Montana, she could have ended up sleeping under an overpass (which is apparently where the well-off homeless live).  She appeared completely committed to the cause and moved by the work the Center does.  And she vowed to stay involved – even begging to be invited back next year (which, I trust, is not a problem).  Once she wrapped up her rambling speech, I grabbed a couple of peach cobblers and left.

Last week, a certain story caught my eye.  A mother in Nebraska bound her two sons with duct tape and forced them to watch Mommie Dearest over and over again.  I half expected the mom’s last name to be Dunaway.  Alas, it was not.  Mary Lucas claims that after her kids called her the “meanest mommie”, she wanted to show them what a real mean mother was like.  She’s been charged with felony child abuse.  Faye was only charged with overacting!

This leads perfectly into a new installment of Fayewatch.  As I previously told you, Faye has signed a deal to write a book about the making of Mommie Dearest.  The trouble is, a) she hates talking about it and b) doesn’t remember much about the filming.  She thought her memories could be jostled by Rutanya Alda, the actress who played Carol Ann in the movie.  She heard that Rutanya had kept a diary and was planning on publishing it.  Faye got in touch with her agent and asked if her former co-star would be interested in “collaborating” on the Dunaway’s book – for acknowledgement but no pay.  Rutanya declined and published her own book.  The Mommie Dearest Diary – Carol Ann Tells All is a short, breezy read with preciously little that would interest most people.  But there is a handful of dishy Dunaway dirt.  Left to her own devices, Faye was photographed in a Hollywood bookshop buying a Mommie Dearest script and Christina Crawford‘s book.  No word on when her book is coming out.

Our Ask Billy question kinda has a literary bent.  Brandon in Chicago asks, What is the story about this movie being made about that gay porn murder that Brent Corrigan was involved in?

Way back in 2007, the owner of a gay porn company (Cobra Video) was murdered by two escorts, Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes.  Allegedly, they killed Bryan Kocis so that they could make a movie with Corrigan (who was not involved in the plot).  The story was chronicled in the book Cobra Killer: Gay Porn Murder.  The book is being turned into the movie King Cobra being produced by James Franco.  Corrigan was approached to be involved in the production, but declined.  The film will star Christian Slater as Kocis and Molly Ringwald as his sister, Melody.  We believe that Keegan Allen from Pretty Little Liars will play Cuadra, and Franco will play Kerekes.  Garrett Clayton, best known for his Disney Channel flicks Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2, will play the pivotal role of Corrigan.  Brent initially seemed unimpressed with the casting choice: “I was 17-21 in the years the screenplay spans.  I looked much younger.  He doesn’t embody Brian’s [sic] preference for not legal boys.”  However, once the 24-year-old Garrett posted a photo of himself in a very revealing costume, Corrigan changed his mind: “Looks just like me at 17 ;-)”.  We’ll post pics of both boys on BillyMasters.com and you can decide for yourself.

Drag queens are in great demand these days.  As I told you months ago, the Absolutely Fabulous movie is being shot this year, primarily in the South of France.  The following casting notice was just posted: “We’re looking for polished queens who can sing and act, but also for a large crowd of draggy camp fantastic looking queers.”  Well, I certainly qualify in at least one of those categories.

Actor/Director Lee Roy Reams has often appeared in the musical Hello, Dolly!.  He’s also directed the show a number of times – including Carol Channing‘s last Broadway run.  But he always felt something was missing.  And then he put his finger on it – a penis.  And not just any penis – his own penis!  Reams has just cast himself as the lead in Hello, Dolly! at the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton which will run from November 5th through December 6th.  And just to tell you a bit more about The Wick, later in December they are presenting a special holiday concert with The Lennon Sisters.  Insert your own joke.

While there is some overlap between transsexual and transgender, transvestites are a completely different thing entirely.  To refer to a transgender as a transvestite or drag queen is not only demeaning, but completely incorrect.  And yet, Laverne Cox, that trailblazer for transgender folks everywhere, is taking on a role where she’ll blur those lines.  She’s just been cast as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in FOX‘s remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  The trades tout this as perfect casting – for America’s premier trans person to sing, “I’m a sweet transvestite, from Transsexual, Transylvania”.  But the role was written for a biological man in female lingerie.  What is shocking is that it’s a guy “making a man, with blond hair and a tan” – to say nothing of him having sex with both Janet and Brad.  For this role to be played by a woman – even a transgender woman – is ridiculous, to say nothing of insulting to all the brave transgender people who have worked so hard to let everyone know they are not simply drag queens.

The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval will pay tribute to the 40th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  And due to his landmark performance playing a transvestite, Tim Curry, the original Dr. Frank-N-Furter, will be honored.  At 8:40PM, Curry will be named West Hollywood’s Honorary Mayor.  There will also be a special concert by Boy George – who, again, is simply a man who occasionally wore dresses.

We have a first for this column.  Our Ask Billy question will be uncredited.  Why?  Because I was informed that this person submitted this same exact question to two other websites – neither of which answered it satisfactorily.  The question is this: “When is the Looking wrap-up movie going to air?  And who will be in it?”

HBO is filming Looking for an Ending in November, which coincides with Jonathan Groff‘s break from the Broadway musical Hamilton.  The two-hour movie will air in February.  When last we left the show, Groff (Patrick) had walked out on Russell Tovey (Kevin) and showed up at the barber shop of Raúl Castillo (Richie).  I suppose I should now say “SPOILER ALERT“.  With that inanity out of the way, Patrick and Kevin do not reconcile.  This makes sense, since Tovey is on Broadway in Arthur Miller‘s A View From The Bridge and is only available for a limited shooting schedule.  That leaves things wide open for Paddy and Richie to get back together – although it should be noted that Castillo was just cast as Eduardo Flamingo on Gotham.  Raúl is awfully busy – he’ll soon be starring opposite our pal Leslie Jordan in a new indy flick, Finding Albie Finch.

America’s Next Top Model was just cancelled.  After 22 seasons, people will no longer get to judge models from the privacy of their own home.  But the series is still making news.  Nyle DiMarco (the show’s first deaf contestant) was answering some Twitter questions when someone asked if he was into guys or girls.  “Fluid” was his response.  I presume that means his sexuality is fluid on the Kinsey scale…but perhaps he’s simply into fluids.  You can wonder about that while looking at his hot photos on BillyMasters.com.

After Michael Sam posted some photos with the cast of Empire, rumor circulated that he’s dating Jussie Smollett.  The Empire star was asked about this by a TMZ crew.  “Get up outta my face about that.  That’s my homie right there.”  Well, that clears up….absolutely nothing.

One thing we do know – Michael Sam and his ex, Vito, are still at least on speaking terms.  The estranged twosome teamed up for a video celebrating Spirit Day and supporting people who are being bullied.

Rosie O’Donnell‘s estranged daughter Chelsea recently gave a tell-all interview to a British newspaper, where she revealed many details about the funny gal.  Such as?  That Rosie spends most of the day locked in her art studio, in Spandex shorts and an oversized T-shirt, and constantly smokes pot.  YAWN!  Chelsea does confirm that Ro is dating Tatum O’Neal (“They would FaceTime a lot”) – although other sources tell us the couple just broke up.  And Chelsea explains why O’Donnell left The View.  “She and Whoopi really didn’t get along and she’d come home every day and talk about how [Whoopi] was stoned on the set and she was being really mean to her.  Rosie said, ‘I’ve already had a heart attack.  I don’t need this much stress.'”

On top of that, a former producer from The View has filed a lawsuit against O’Donnell claiming that their conflicts led to her being fired.  Jennifer Shepard-Brookman says that Ro made “false and defamatory statements” which led to her suffering “intense emotional distress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, destroyed her professional reputation, and led to her termination of employment.”  Push came to shove when Rosie accused her of leaking gossip to the press – a charge Brookman vehemently denies.  At the time of her dismissal, Jen had been working for the show for 14 years, making her the last producer from the show’s original team to still have a job.  Stay tuned.

Although I had a busy schedule, I managed to attend some of the Gay Days festivities in Anaheim.  En route to the VIP cocktail party, I ran into the fabulous Frank DeCaro and his equally fabulous spouse, Jim Colucci.  Once at the swanky soirée, I immediately found myself surrounded by Alec Mapa, Ben Baur, Derek Hartley, Michael Urie, Jai Rodriguez, Blake McIver, Emerson Collins, Ronnie Kroell, and oodles of others.  Most of us headed over to the Kingdom dance party, where the capacity crowd danced to the beat of the DJ extraordinaire, Kimberly S.  For me, the highlight of the evening was Well-Strung‘s performance.  These guys never disappoint – and their new CD, “POPssical”, is now available on their website Well-Strung.com.

Graham Norton recently bemoaned his single status in the UK press: “I would like to go out with someone my own age, but that seems impossible.  Gay men my age don’t want to date someone their age.”  Those gay men interested in younger guys apparently include Graham himself.  The 52-year-old comedian’s most recent relationship was a six-month stint with music exec Andrew Smith, who is 36.  Perhaps the age gap was just a fluke.  In 2013, Graham ended a two-year relationship with Canadian software designer Trevor Patterson.  At the time of their breakup, Graham was 50 and Trevor was 30.  Hmmm.

Meredith Vieira and her panel of guests were discussing Ashley Judd‘s revelation that she’d been sexually harassed by a studio exec.  Lance Bass said, “This also happens to men, too.  I mean, it’s a two-way street.  It has happened to me.  When I was 16, 17 years old, when we started, there was someone that we worked with that was inappropriately touching us.  And I was even aware then, at 16, that this guy was a pedophile and he was touching me oddly.  But I didn’t feel victimized at the time because I was very aware of it.”  When asked if he ever spoke up, Bass said, “No, I mean, with the guys, we would talk about it.  We’d kinda joke about it, but it’s not a joking thing.  But as a kid, I dunno, it was just odd.  But I’m glad that we were aware of it and we didn’t feel victimized at the time.”  Is there anyone who doesn’t think he’s talking about Lou Pearlman?  He might want to compare notes with Nick Carter.

How can I avoid Justin‘s beaver?  The first shocker is that Bieber actually has a penis.  Not only that, but it’s kinda substantial – I mean, I wouldn’t be bragging about it, but I also wouldn’t be ashamed of it.  Bieber’s somewhat-estranged dad posted this on Twitter: “@justinbieber what do you feed that thing.  #proud daddy ;-)”  If Justin’s actually looking for a proud daddy, I think Graham Norton is available.

Justin’s apparently not thrilled about his penis going public.  His legal team is trying to squelch the pics and has started sending out cease-and-desist letters.  This is exactly what you DON’T do if there is an alleged photo of you floating around.  I taught this lesson to a notable television host when his ponderous appendage went public (courtesy of moi).  If you ask for the photos to be taken down, you are admitting they are legit and just feeding the flame – as it were.  For the time being, I’ll continue to bring you every inch of Bieber on BillyMasters.com.

Our Ask Billy question comes from Ignacio in San Diego: “Who is that hot piece of papi ass on Dancing With The Stars?  I know he’s married, but he’s muy caliente….you must have something on him.”

One of the most interesting things about Carlos Pena Jr. is that once he married Alexa Vega, they fused their last names and became PenaVega.  The 26-year-old entertainer is 5’6″, and one of those hot little guys that you can just carry around in your front (or back) pocket.  He was in the band Big Time Rush and certainly has great energy, in addition to a hot, tight body you know can rock you all night long.  FYI, he’ll be playing Kenickie in FOX‘s Grease: Live.  In addition to some racy pics, we actually have come across a video of him in the nude!  We presume it was his wife who filmed him sitting on the toilet singing “I Want It That Way” and accompanying himself on the ukulele.  It is really hot, so check it out at BillyMasters.com.

Congratulations to Dustin Lance Black and Tom Daley on their engagement.  The couple went the traditional route and announced their betrothal in The Times of London.  “The engagement is announced between Tom, son of Robert and Debra Daley of Plymouth, and Lance, son of Jeff Bisch of Philadelphia and Anne Bisch of Lake Providence.”  Call me old-fashioned, but aren’t these announcements traditionally posted by the parents of the bride?  While you make your own joke, Daley’s mom filled in some of the blanks: “They are going to wait until after the Olympic Games in Rio before they decide on the date of the wedding and where they want to marry.”

With all the brouhaha about the Pope‘s brief meeting with Kim Davis, another story kinda got lost in the shuffle.  The only person who had a private audience with Pope Francis was a gay man – who brought his partner.  Yayo Grassi, an openly gay Argentine, is a former student of the pontiff.  Back in 1964, Francis taught literature and psychology at a high school in Santa Fe, Argentina.  Grassi was one of his students.  According to Yayo, “Three weeks before the trip, he called me on the phone and said he would love to give me a hug.”  Not only did he hug Grassi, but a photo shows the Pope hugging Grassi’s partner of 19 years, Iwan Bagus.  Yayo shared another anecdote.  In 2010, he read that the then-Cardinal Bergoglio had publicly condemned legalization of same-sex marriage.  Yayo wrote a long letter to the cardinal expressing disappointment.  He got an e-mail back, apologizing for the tone of the comments published (which he said were taken out of context), and adding, “I want you to know that in my work there is absolutely no place for homophobia”.  See?  Not everything is black and white.

When asked by the London Guardian if it’s harder for actors to be openly gay in Hollywood, Damon said: “I’m sure.  When Ben and I first came on the scene there were rumours that we were gay because it was two guys who wrote a script together.  It’s just like any piece of gossip…and it put us in a weird position of having to answer, you know what I mean?  Which was then really deeply offensive.  I don’t want to, like [imply] it’s some sort of disease – then it’s like I’m throwing my friends under the bus.  But at the time, I remember thinking and saying, Rupert Everett was openly gay and this guy – more handsome than anybody, a classically trained actor – it’s tough to make the argument that he didn’t take a hit for being out.  I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you period.  And sexuality is a huge part of that.  Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.”

All I got out of that is Matt’s got a little man crush on Rupert Everett!  When he first came out, Rupert was cocky, arrogant, abrasive, and often smelled.  Difficult to work with doesn’t even scratch the surface.  He certainly wasn’t the model of professionalism, so I suspect being gay was the least of his offenses – although I’m sure it didn’t help.  Back to Matt.  He clarified his point on Ellen: “I was just trying to say actors are more effective when they’re a mystery.  And somebody picked it up and said I said gay actors should get back in the closet.  Which is like, I mean, it’s stupid, but it is painful when things get said that you don’t believe.”  I hope we’ve cleared that up.

Just before we went to press, little Danny Pintauro made some revelations to Oprah Winfrey.  First, he had been hooked on crystal meth.  “I had just come out of a two-year relationship, and I discovered in that relationship that there was more I wanted to explore sexually.  Crystal meth takes away your inhibitions, and if you want to explore that adventurous side, taking the drug is going to put you there.”  What it also did was lead to his next revelation – he’s been HIV-positive for the past 12 years.  “I know exactly when it happened.  I was living in New York at the time and completely clueless to the idea that I was positive.  I went in for a regular checkup.  It was just regular blood work.  You go in, and you sort of waited two weeks on pins and needles – or at least I did, because I was just terrified of the idea of getting HIV.”  He says that the diagnosis was almost a relief.  “You spend so much time terrified that you’re going to get it, and then you have it.  You don’t have to be terrified anymore.”  Let us hope young people everywhere are not following his example.

Just before I started this column 20 years ago, Patti LuPone had been hired and then fired by Andrew Lloyd Webber to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.  Actually, “fired” is really not the right term.  I guess “let go” is more accurate, since she most certainly played the role – she played the shit out of it, if you ask me.  I attended one of the shows shortly after LuPone heard she would not be taking the show to Broadway and, trust me, she WAS Norma Desmond.  But she was dumped in favor of Glenn Close, who had successfully played the role in Los Angeles and was, let’s face it, a bigger “name”.  Well, history has a funny way of repeating.  The English National Opera wanted to stage a limited run of the musical at the London Coliseum next year.  Lloyd Webber said he’d love to see Glenn in the part – especially since she never did it in London.  However, the ENO was quite keen on casting Patti.  Sir Andy let it be known no Glenn, no rights to the show.  And, poof, just like that, Close got the gig.  Webber is looking at this run as tryout for a potential film version.

Miss Close may have won the part, but she lost the guy.  Hours after her hard-earned casting coup had been announced, her third husband filed for divorce.  The couple had been married for nine years, and Miss Close’s publicist says the split was “mutual and amicable”.  So, in a way, Patti wins.  She’s played all the roles, been hired (and fired) by the best of them, and had the same guy by her side throughout.  She may not be a “movie star”, but I think, wherever she is, LuPone is smiling.

When a filmmaker tackles a big subject such as the Holocaust or World War II, they often do so through the eyes of a character the audience will identify with.  Roland Emmerich has done that with Stonewall.  Like most people, lead actor Jeremy Irvine also cannot act.  Nope, not even a little.  But he is pretty (actually prettier and taller in person), and these days, that tends to suffice.  He kinda strikes me as an aspiring porn actor who got lucky – well, I’m sure SOMEONE got lucky.  But he was not nearly as pretty as the people who were at this premiere in WeHo.  The really pretty ones were part of the lovely Bryan Singer‘s posse, but let’s not go there.  Back to the movie, the lead actor isn’t even the biggest problem.  That honor is saved for the script, written by the usually serviceable Jon Robin Baitz, which is filled with more pitfalls and potholes than any street in Greenwich Village.  What the film DOES have going for it is the bravura, highly skilled performance of Jonny Beauchamp, who you may know from Penny Dreadful (where he has appeared naked, and you can see every inch of him on BillyMasters.com).  He’s so good that any time he is on-screen, the material is elevated to something almost resembling a movie.  Alas, those moments are fleeting.

When last I wrote you, I had just gotten word that Jackie Collins had died.  We usually hung out at the hairdresser’s – the oh-so-chic Hair at Riley’s on Sunset.  Jax showed me that’s where you got the best gossip.  Everyone wanted to talk to Jackie – ostensibly to hear her stories.  Within a couple of minutes, she had them spilling their secrets – secrets she transcribed when she got home.  When I started writing this column, I asked her for advice. “Have I taught you nothing?  Go to the hairdresser!”  At the time of her death, Jax was working on a number of projects.  In addition to a new novel, she’d been writing her long-promised autobiography.  She promised that she’d name names in Reform School or Hollywood.  Then there was Jackie Collins: Hollywood Snaps, a coffee table book of celebrity photos she’d taken over the years.  Lastly, there’s Jackie Collins: Hollywood Lies, a play she hoped to produce on Broadway.  Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of Jackie.

Our Ask Billy question comes from Jasper in Detroit: “I thought Gio Benitez was dating David Muir.  But for the past few months, all he does is post photos of him and some hot guy named Tommy.  What’s going on?”

Rumor had it that Muir was quite enamored with Gio and bent over backwards (and forwards) to help him up the network ladder.  But those same people claim that Gio was less than thrilled to live in the shadows and have a clandestine relationship with a particularly paranoid poseur.  Enter Tommy DiDario – model, actor, and reality show wannabe.  Perhaps you saw him on the short-lived CW show, High Society.  While he was a peripheral character (at best), he’s most notable for breaking up with his boyfriend, Paul Johnson Calderon.  “I go online and you’re making out with a porn star?  You introduced me to your mom, Paul – your fucking mom!”  And you people think these shows are scripted.  You don’t get prose like that on Downton Abbey!  Back to Gio and Tommy.  Apparently, they met around the first of the year and have been inseparable ever since.  They’re often traveling – either for personal reasons or when Gio is on assignment.  And they constantly post photos together on social media – usually in various forms of undress.  I’ll post some of the more titillating snaps on BillyMasters.com.

I always time my fall return to LA with the Emmy Awards.  But this year, I zipped west earlier to coincide with my pal Belinda Carlisle‘s solo concert at the Fonda Theatre.  This was her first full-length solo hometown concert since 2003, and it was a spectacular event.  Looking back at my review from 12 years ago, I wrote, “She rocked the near-capacity House of Blues with an hour-and-twenty-minute set, sporting her trademark Ann-Margret red locks and go-go girl looks.”  All of that still applies, except now the concert was 90 minutes.  Not only does Carlisle’s voice sound stronger and richer than ever, but her double hip replacement five months ago doesn’t seem to have slowed down any of her kittenish dance moves.  I must make special mention of her opening act, Gabe Lopez.  I first met Gabe eons ago as a songwriter, and I’m thrilled to see him now touring with Belinda (he’s also writing and co-producing her upcoming album).  He’s paid his dues, and it’s now paying off.  Congrats.

You know something else that might be uncomfortable to wear?  A Caitlyn Jenner costume.  Believe it or not, the Call Me Caitlyn costume, based on Jenner’s coming-out photos, is predicted to be one of the most popular outfits this Halloween.  When asked her thoughts on the phenomenon, Cait said, “I’m in on the joke.  Yeah, no, I don’t think it’s offensive at all.  I know the community does, and [the company selling the costume] has gotten a lot of criticism for doing it.  I think it’s great, to be honest with you.  I think it’s great.  But they could have come up with a better outfit for it.”  I thought the same thing when I saw the Vanity Fair cover.

Let’s clear up some misinformation out there regarding Million Dollar Listing: New York.  It was reported in In Touch that Fredrik Eklund (better known to you all as the Ingrid Bergman of gay porn, Tag Eriksson) is being dumped from the show.  An unnamed “source” said, “Not only did he want to be paid $1 million per season, but he wanted to be treated like a king.  He demanded hair, makeup and wardrobe for every shoot.”  His agent says there is no truth to the story, and Eklund will be back next season.  I doubt Freddie’s losing any sleep over it – the bulk of his alleged $30 million net worth comes from real estate deals, not from the show.  But he has confirmed some drama in his life – his real estate office in Norway declared bankruptcy.  When asked of the situation, Fredrik said, “The market in Oslo is too small.”  Truer words were never spoken.

Our Ask Billy question comes from Ryan in Tulsa: “I can’t believe you never wrote about The D Train with James Marsden and Jack Black.  They have sex and everything.”

I love when I learn something from my fans.  James Marsden’s career has always fascinated me.  Rarely has someone had the whole package, such as it is.  Looks, talent, charisma, and, of course, that body.  Although he’s played gay several times, he is (allegedly) heterosexual.  I remember being virtually tongue-tied when I met him at the Hairspray premiere.  And yet, Jack Black finds himself literally tongue-tied with Marsden in this film, which came and went in May.  It made roughly $440K opening weekend and then quickly disappeared – so quickly that I never even heard of it.  The plot surrounds a nerd (Jack Black) trying to arrange his high school reunion and tracking down his hottest classmate (James Marsden).  You’ll have to watch the movie to see how they end up having sex, but you can see them in the act on BillyMasters.com.

Legendary Olympian Greg Louganis has signed with CAA to represent him in all areas of showbiz.  This may seem trite – people switch agents all the time.  But in Greg’s case, it is quite significant.  He’s won numerous honors, written best-selling books, and was even the subject of a documentary last year.  But what does he want?  To be on Dancing with the Stars.  At least we’ve heard of him!  And he’s an Olympic legend, to say nothing of an HIV trailblazer.  There’s also talk of him finally getting onto a box of Wheaties.  Baby steps…

You know how innocent young men often ask a famous person to a prom, or a ball, or some other fabulous event?  Well, we now have a first.  Tanner White, a Marine, made a special video for Steve Grand, better known for posing in various forms of undress than for actually singing.  “Steve, you are an amazing singer.  I’ve seen some of your blog videos, and they were awesome.  I would like for you to go with me to the 2015 Marine Corps Ball in Wilmington, North Carolina as my date.  Hopefully you’ll say yes.  If not, it was worth a shot.”  Because apparently nobody can simply pick up a telephone, Grand posted a video of his own: “I want to say that I’m honored to accept your invitation to be your date at the Marine Corps Ball this November.  Thank you so much for your service to this country, and I look forward to a really fun evening with you in November.”  I wouldn’t be surprised if the date includes more servicing – to say nothing of a part of the anatomy turning purple, decidedly south of the heart.

It’s been a year since Joan Rivers‘ untimely death.  As you know, I had a long relationship with Auntie Joan, so I’d like to relate two anecdotes which I don’t believe I’ve ever shared before.  When I first contacted her as a kid, the abbreviations for states had just changed to what are now the standard two letters – so Massachusetts went from Mass to MA.  She ended her first letter to me (on Caesars Palace stationery) saying, “It makes me feel so happy to know I have a fan in Maine.”  Over the years, Joan and I spent many memorable moments together on the red carpet.  One that stands out was the 2005 Golden Globes.  Joan had briefly left E! for the TV Guide Network.  After the pre-show, we were walking by the now-deserted E! set.  I mentioned how nice it looked, festooned with roses.  “You should take the flowers,” I quipped, knowing it never took much to goad her.  Auntie Joan’s eyes flashed, “Damn right!  I put that network on the map – they owe me.  Get out your camera.”  Not sure if I should take photos or a video, I did both.  You can see this brief video and photos for the first time on BillyMasters.com.

Our Ask Billy question comes from Kevin in Chicago:  “I know this is a longshot, but do you know anything about Daron Cruickshank?  I’m a big MMA fan and found some nude photos of him.  Where did they come from?”

No such thing as a longshot with me.  Daron Cruickshank is a mixed martial artist and a lightweight in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).  The photos you’ve stumbled upon stem from his porn days.  Yes, porn.  He did some “solo” work for Randy Blue under the name Travis Michaels about seven years ago.  Why are the photos coming out now?  Who knows, but you can check him out at BillyMasters.com.

Season 18 will likely go down in history as the least successful season of The View.  All three of the newly-hired co-hosts vanished.  For a while, it looked like Whoopi was going to be on the show all by herself.  Then Raven-Symoné was hired.  Then Michelle Collins was hired.  Then Candace Cameron Bure was hired.  Then Paula Faris was hired.  For those of you keeping count, that’s five co-hosts – the most the show has ever had.  But Candace will also be filming the Full House reboot, and Paula hosts Good Morning America on the weekends.  So they needed some fill-ins.  Enter Stacy London, Ana Navarro, Molly Sims and Sherri Shepherd.  Yes, Sherri Shepherd – one of the few co-hosts in the history of “The View” to actually leave of her own accord.

Then ABC announced that Joy Behar is back.  Not only is she back – she’s back as a permanent host.  How did this happen?  When planning for this revamped panel, the network asked both Sherri and Joy to return.  Both entered into negotiations.  The idea of this rotating slot appealed to Sherri, who still acts and does stand-up around the country.  She was in.  Joy was less than thrilled.  “They’ve come to me, and we couldn’t make a deal.  They wouldn’t really negotiate well enough for me.  And so I said, ‘No, I’m not coming back.’  I mean, if they were giving me a bigger role on the show, and giving me some power to actually make some changes and let them benefit from my expertise after being there for 16 years – but they’re not going to do that, so why would I want to bang my head against the wall?”  A big issue was the money – we hear Joy wanted $3 million for the part-time gig.  The network balked, Joy walked.  Then Barbara Walters went to bat for Behar.  Babs was disgusted with how the show has been run since her retirement, and insisted that Joy be re-hired.  But wait, there’s more.  Because the show will now be live on Fridays, Whoopi will take that day off and guess who will be the moderator?  Joy, that’s who.