They announced their engagement earlier this year, and despite the marriage-tragic news of Ben and Jen, singer Melissa Etheridge, 41, and actor Tammy Lynn Michaels, 28, are expected to tie the knot any day—thus preserving marriage for the truly committed. ‘This is the first wedding for both of them,’ said ME’s PR man. Melissa has two kids with ex-partner Julie Cypher
Queer Eye for Low Pay
Some truly juicy gossip on The Smoking Gun Web site Sept. 13, based on a lawsuit by a fired one-time Fab 5 member: ‘The Queer Eye for the Straight Guy guys may be the hottest things on TV, but you’d never know it from their paychecks. That’s because Fab 5 members are only getting $3,000 per episode during the show’s first year, according to contracts signed months before the Bravo program’s July debut. And the show’s stars, who locked themselves into six consecutive one-year options, will be getting annual raises of just five percent, which works out to $3,150 per episode next season and $3,307.50 the following year. The Queer Eye deals are also virtually perk-free. … Below you’ll find the standard Queer Eye deal memorandum, a copy of which just surfaced in connection with a lawsuit brought by original cast member Blair Boone.’ [See site for details: www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/qeblair1.html.] … Hopefully, the Fab 5 get some good lawyers to renegotiate the deal—which is so strongly worded in the producers’ favor that it’s no wonder they tapped relative unknowns so they could exploit them to the maximum. … The 5 were in town to tape Oprah last week. Doesn’t she already use a lot of queers for advice? They’re just not so out!
Fearless Ritter
John Ritter, star of the 1977 to 1984 sitcom Three’s Company, died last week of a heart attack. Ritter was ahead of his time, not afraid to play ‘gay’ (even if it was just for the fictional landlord) on TV. It was over-the-top (as was the entire show), but still done in fun.