Joel Kim Booster—who wrote and starred in the LGBTQ+ rom-com Fire Island—recently talked about the reason why there’s no sequel to the 2022 film, per Instinct Magazine. Talking with Attitude, Booster said, “After the movie came out, Searchlight and Hulu were interested.” However, he added, “If I had come out of the movie with a great idea for how this story would continue, that would be one thing, but I’m not going to force a story. Think about successful comedy rom-com sequels—there aren’t a lot. I didn’t want to make Legally Blonde 2. People think they want a sequel, and then they’ll be confronted with something that will sully the memory of the first one and at best be forgotten about.”
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics recently announced the group’s 2024 Dorian TV Awards nominations for the best in television and streaming across 24 categories, mainstream to LGBTQ+, per a press release. Among dramas, three series versions of very disparate period novels led the way—Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, seen on AMC, took six Dorian nominations, while Shogun (FX/Hulu) and Fellow Travelers (Showtime/Paramount+) each earned five. Regarding comedies, The Bear(FX/Hulu), Hacks (Max) and Netflix’s miniseries Baby Reindeer each grabbed six nods. A wide range of other projects received nods, including Palm Royale, Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later, True Detective: Night Country and Heartstopper. Among the actors receiving nominations were Jodie Foster, Andrew Scott, Ncuti Gatwa, Jinkx Monsoon, Jean Smart, Carol Burnett, Jeremy Allen White, Harvey Guillen and Matt Berry.
Non-binary alt-R&B singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Forest Claudette will embark on the “& Stone Between” North American tour this September, a press release noted. Claudette will begin their tour at Atlanta’s The Masquerade on Sept. 11 and will spots such as Toronto’s The Drake (Sept. 16) and Chicago’s The Hideout (Sept. 18), among others, before wrapping things up at San Francisco’s Popscene @ Brick & Mortar (Sept. 21). Claudette will open for fellow queer musician Omar Apollo for a series of performances in Australia starting July 15 at Festival Hall in their hometown of Melbourne.
SPOILER: The Prime Video show The Boys has taken an LGBTQ+ turn, as Frenchie (played by Tomer Capone) leaves The Boys (turning himself in to authorities)—and embarks on a same-sex relationship with crush Colin (Elliot Knight), Variety noted. Onetime love Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) encouraged Frenchie to have a sexual relationship with Colin, which marked Frenchie’s first on-screen relationship with a man. “If you think about it, all those people have a sexuality that is not black or white, it’s somewhere in between. They’re so beautiful for being what they are,” Capone has said, referencing people “like Serge Gainsbourg, David Bowie, Iggy Pop [and] Mick Jagger.” He added, “it’s just another beautiful color to explore in Frenchie’s painting. I loved it.”
Former late-night host and comic Amber Ruffin announced in an Instagram post that she’s queer, LGBTQ Nation noted. In the post, she wore a shirt that read “QUEER” in several colors and wrote, “In what will come as a shock to exactly zero people, I’m using the last day of PRIDE to come out! Be proud of who you are, little babies! I know I am! And I can’t wait to be discriminated against for a new reason!!” Responses were overwhelmingly positive, with singer/actress Cynthia Erivo, Sophia Bush, Michelle Buteau, Audra McDonald, Aidy Bryant and others praising Ruffin. At one point, Ruffin was a writer on Late Night with Seth Meyers, making her the first Black woman to become a writer for any late-night talk show. She eventually went on to host her own late-night talk show on Peacock, the Emmy-nominated The Amber Ruffin Show.
Abbott Elementary Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph and Veep Emmy winner Tony Hale will present nominations for the 76th annual ceremony on July 17 alongside TV Academy chair Cris Abrego, The Wrap noted. The 76th annual ceremony marks the second Emmys show in 2024, after the 75th show was postponed from from Sept. 18, 2023 to Jan. 15, 2024 due to the Hollywood strikes. The upcoming Emmys will take place Sept. 15 and will air live coast-to-coast from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.
Former U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe has not been disqualified from the National Soccer Hall of Fame, despite various social-media posts claiming the contrary, Reuters noted. A photo of the World Cup champion was shared online, and it had the caption: “Megan Rapinoe has been disqualified from the soccer Hall of Fame. ‘She’s a bad role model.’” U.S. Soccer spokesperson Neil Buethe said in an email that any posts saying Rapinoe has been disqualified for the Hall of Fame are false. National Soccer Hall of Fame spokesperson Gina Miller told Reuters in an email that the posts are inaccurate and referred to a September 2023 Instagram post from the organization that said Rapinoe would be eligible for the Hall of Fame in the year 2027.
The first installment of the upcoming two-part Wicked movie will hit movie venues a few days earlier than expected, Playbill noted. The Jon M. Chu-directed film that stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is now scheduled for a Nov. 22 release—days earlier than the initially announced Nov. 27 release. The earlier date means Wicked: Part One will no longer be competing at the box office with Disney’s Moana 2 on opening day. Wicked‘s second part is still expected to release on Thanksgiving 2025.
Ellen DeGeneres—who’s currently on her farewell tour, Ellen’s Last Stand… Up—has canceled four of her upcoming shows, USA Today noted. The Ticketmaster pages for her tour stops in Dallas (July 10), San Francisco (July 21), Seattle (July 23) and Chicago (Aug. 11) show a message that reads: “Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event. You don’t need to do a thing. We’ll issue a refund to the original method of payment used at time of purchase, as soon as funds are received from the Event Organizer.” On May 29, DeGeneres announced the summer tour across North America, which is described as “the last opportunity for fans to witness a comedy legend in her final curtain call.” The July 20 (San Francisco), July 22 (Seattle) and Aug. 10 (Chicago) shows are still on the bill. The tour is her first since allegations of a toxic workplace on her talk show emerged in 2020, per EW.
Queer Eye co-host Jonathan Van Ness has responded to allegations of them being “difficult” on the show, saying they were “overwhelmingly untrue,” per the BBC. Van Ness was the subject of a March report by Rolling Stone, which claimed they had “rage issues” and were a “nightmare” to work with on set. Van Ness told Jessie and Lennie Ware’s Table Manners podcast that the article was written “in bad faith.” However, speaking about times they might have been “stressed out,” Van Ness acknowledged, “I know there were times where I could have been better.”
Lee Daniels (who presented the ICON to industry figure and friend Lorrie Bartlett), Lena Waithe, Regina King, Andra Day and more attended the 8th Annual Culture Creators Innovators & Leaders Awards Brunch, a press release noted. Some of the other attendees at the June 28 event included L.A. Reid, Omarion, Cory Hardrict, Karl Kani, Flau’Jae, Jasper Hagen and Jessica Betts. The event took place at the Beverly Hilton; the star-studded event came to life thanks to sponsors such as BET, Möet Hennessy and Lexus, with additional support from Black-owned brands The Doux, Afro Unicorn and Rap Snacks.
Out profiled eight celebrities who came out during Pride Month. They include country singer Maren Morris (“Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+,” she wrote in an Instagram post); singer Carissa Rae Martin, who wrote an essay in the wake of being outed); Baby Reindeerstar Jessica Gunning; Survivor 41 finalist Deshawn Radden; Louisa Jacobson, an actress who is Meryl Streep’s daughter; singer/songwriter Chappell Roan; Bridgerton actress Jessica Madsen; and wrestler Bulk Bronson.
Openly gay Bravo exec Andy Cohen revealed one of his “few regrets” was asking Oprah Winfrey if she had ever “taken a dip in the lady pond” on his talk show, Watch What Happens Live, in 2013, per Page Six. “It meant so much to me that Oprah Winfrey did the show,” Cohen told Entertainment Tonight. “It’s gone brilliantly and I turn around and ask her if she’s ever had sex with a woman. I mean, couldn’t I leave it alone?” Cohen further revealed that Winfrey’s close friend Gayle King told him the mogul “didn’t know” what he meant by the term “lady pond.”
The HBO Original documentary Faye, produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau, will debut Saturday, July 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max, per a press release. The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Academy Award®-winning actress and multi-decade movie star Faye Dunaway recounts the triumphs and challenges of her illustrious career with frank candor in this film. The documentary also features interviews with Dunaway’s son Liam Dunaway O’Neill as well as colleagues and friends including author Mark Harris, journalist Robin Morgan, film professor Annette Insdorf, photographer/director Jerry Schatzberg, author David Itzkoff, actors Sharon Stone and Mickey Rourke, and filmmaker James Gray.
Diamond and multi-platinum-certified hitmaker and Grammy-nominated singer Bebe Rexha released the single “I’m The Drama” via Warner Records, per a press release. “I’m The Drama” and previous single “Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da)” arrive after the release of Rexha’s third studio album, Bebe, last year. The album also includes the smash “I’m Good (Blue),” with David Guetta.
Dungeons and Drag Queens star Monet X Change now has her own variety talk series at Dimension 20 streamer Dropout, Varietynoted. Titled Monét’s Slumber Party, the show is described as an “edgy, playful and queer variety show” in which “Monét X Change will welcome friends, comedians and other celebrities to an adult sleepover.” Guests on the first season include celebrities Adam Rippon, Rachel Bloom and Joel Kim Booster; drag queens like Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Jujubee, Alaska Thunderfuck and Bob the Drag Queen; and comedians like Atsuko Okatsuka and Roz Hernandez. The first episode of the show’s six-episode season will debut July 19 on Dropout, with a new episode debuting every other Friday.
Martin Mull—whose many TV and movie roles included playing a gay character on Roseanne—had died at age 80, per the AP. Mull’s daughter—TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull—said her father died at home after “a valiant fight against a long illness.” Mull was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut, and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. On Roseanne, his partner was played by Fred Willard, who died in 2020.
RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Farrah Moan shared posts on X (formerly Twitter) in which she accused former co-contestant Trinity the Tuck of making transphobic remarks, Out noted. Trinity wrote in a statement to Out, “The claims that Farrah have made are grossly embellished. I have never and would never say those things about a trans man.” In response to Out, Farrah showed photographic evidence that this encounter took place on May 21, 2017. She also wrote in a statement, ”I’m doing really well! I’ve stepped away from socials a bit the last few months as I’ve been focusing all my energy on my healing.”
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to designate Marilyn Monroe‘s former Westside home, at 12305 W. Fifth Helena Dr., as a historic cultural monument—thwarting the current owners’ attempt to demolish it, per Deadline. The move came five months after L.A.’s Cultural Heritage Commission blocked the demolition efforts over the house’s cultural significance. The home is where the iconic actress was found dead at 36 in August 1962.
The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced the winners of the 6th Annual AAFCA TV Honors for distinguished achievements in television and streaming, along with special achievement award honorees, who will be honored for their contributions to television at an invitation-only event on Aug. 24 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, a press release noted. Queer actress Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), the Lena Waithe-backed show The Chi, the documentary Black Twitter: A People’s History and the limited series Masters of the Air are some of the winners in the competitive categories. Special awards will be given to actor Glynn Turman, actress/comedian Michelle Buteau, producer/writer/creator Nkechi Okoro Carroll, the Starz Poweruniverse and the streaming service Tubi.
Former What Not To Wear host Stacy London, who has been dating partner Cat Yezbak since 2018, now identifies as lesbian, per Page Six. “I feel like I want to say lesbian because there aren’t enough of us,” she told Us Weekly. “It’s not just about one type of lesbian culture. I want people to see the spectrum, and so I identify as such.” London, 55, also thanked people in younger generations who have welcomed her into the LGBTQIA+ community.
The next season of Top Chef will go north—to film in Canada (the home of judge Gail Simmons), Parade noted. Out host Kristen Kish and judge Tom Colicchio will return in their roles. The franchise is making a rare trip outside the United States after filming season 20 in London, per The Hollywood Reporter. Bravo has not yet announced a premiere date for the 22nd season.
The movie Big Boys—an LGBTQ+ body-positive comedy about a teenage boy who develops an unexpected crush on his cousin’s boyfriend during a weekend camping trip in the majestic mountains of California—is available On Demand, per a press notice. It stars teen Isaac Krasner (Outfest, Oustanding Performance Award) as well as Dora Madison (Friday Night Lights), David Johnson III (Apple+ series Lady in the Lake), Taj Cross (PEN15) and Emily Deschanel (Devil in Ohio; TV’s Bones). The Guardian called it “an achingly brilliant queer coming-of-age classic” and Attitude labeled it “an instant crowd-pleaser.”
At the recent American Black Film Festival (ABFF), held in Miami Beach’s South Beach, embattled actor Jussie Smollett said he was tired of trying to explain away his past troubles while Denzel Washington hinted that he was taking a hiatus from acting, per The Hollywood Reporter. In part, the event was a launching pad for ABFF’s Queer Lens Brunch with GLAAD, featuring Smollett on a panel promoting his second feature, The Lost Holiday, which he co-wrote, produced and directed. In part, Smollett said, “Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and let everybody think that you’re crazy, that you’re shady, that you’re a fraud, whatever they’re going to think. And then they’ll figure it out. They’ll figure it out because I can’t sit here forever trying to explain.” Washington—who will be seen in Gladiator 2, with Paul Mescal—said on the festival’s closing day, “I think there’s less and less time I’ll be spending in front of the camera,”
Also regarding Smollett, actress Vivica A. Fox revealed that she is starring in his project The Lost Holiday, People noted. Fox said that she has known Smollett since he was a kid, and the two “have a special bond.” Fox recently posted a birthday tribute for Smollett on Instagram, bringing in mixed opinions about him returning to the public eye through their new movie. She also revealed that he has been invited to her 60th birthday party, which will be at home in Indianapolis.
Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan—who once said her dream was to “release pop songs, just, exclusively for gay men”—has released a song to raise money for LGBTQ+ organizations, according to them. Coughlan shared that she plans to use the full track—“SHOES… MORE SHOES”—to raise money for two LGBTQ+ charities: Not A Phase, a British grassroots organization that campaigns for the rights of trans people in the UK; and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization that provides crisis support and resources for queer and trans youth. Actors Joe Locke (Heartstopper) and Cynthia Erivo (the upcoming Wicked) were among those who praised the actress, with Erivo adding, “I’m dead. Can the bi girls get a piece of this please??”
Comedian/actor Julia Sweeney said criticism of her recurring Saturday Night Live character Pat broke her heart—before she was told years later how empowering some people found the character, according to HuffPost, citing a People Magazine interview. During her four seasons on SNL, Sweeney regularly starred in sketches as Pat—a nerdy but sweet character whose gender ambiguity was the main issue/joke. “There were some people in particular… saying that Pat was derogatory towards nonbinary people and that it was really an upsetting thing as a person of indeterminate gender herself or themselves to even see Pat,” said Sweeney. Recently, Sweeney met with a team of trans comedy writers to see how she could “reinvent” Pat, adding she left the meeting feeling “proud” of what she brought to the world with the character.
Powerful Manhattan law firm Grubman, Shire, Meiselas & Sacks allegedly dropped Sean “Diddy” Combs (who has now been accused of sex trafficking) as a client at the behest of another powerful celebrity: Lady Gaga, according to Page Six. Combs was the law firm’s client for more than 20 years. Reportedly, the firm feared that others would follow Gaga if she decided to leave. (However, in an update, Gaga’s attorneys have denied that she had anything to do with Combs being dropped.) Past and present clients include Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Lil Nas X, The Weeknd, Madonna, U2 and Drake.
Professional wrestlers AC Mack and Rico Gonzalez are officially married, and the two of them celebrated their love at a beach ceremony in Puerto Rico, per Instinct Magazine. The couple exchanged their vows and shared their first kiss as a married couple on the ruins of Fortín del Puerto Hermina. Mack is considered to be the first out LGBTQ male world champion in professional wrestling; Gonzalez is a rising star and 2024 Scenic City Invitational entrant.
Talking with Billboard, country-music singer and American Idol judge Luke Bryan name-dropped the stars that have “been in talks” to judge the competition next season, as Katy Perry has left the judges’ panel, Deadline noted. “I’ve said several names. I think Pink has been in the talks, Miley Cyrus has been in the talks, Meghan Trainor has been in the talks,” Bryan said, adding, “It’s been interesting. It’s been something Disney [has] been really tightlipped about with me and Lionel and Ryan. We currently haven’t heard what the story is on who’s coming back, and if Lionel and I are coming back.”
The U.S. Department of Justice said that gay adult-film actor Justin Heath Smith (aka the stage name Austin Wolf) was charged with distributing hundreds of videos of child pornography, per Yahoo! Voices. A release said that Smith used an anonymous Telegram account to exchange videos with another person between March 24 and March 28. Smith was charged with one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted on both charges, the defendant faces a maximum combined sentence of 30 years in prison. According to The Daily Mail, Smith walked into Manhattan federal court to face the music—and turned to his partner of 10 years in the gallery and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”