http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2015/03/09/empire-star-jussie-smollet-confirms-hes-gay/24646981/

'Empire' star Jussie Smollet confirms he's gay
Arienne Thompson, USA TODAY 2:32 p.m. EDT March 9, 2015

Actor and singer Jussie Smollett is one of the breakout stars of Fox's hit drama Empire, and while much of the buzz surrounding him has focused on his talents, there's also been plenty said about his sexuality.

On the show, he plays Jamal Lyon, a gay singer and the middle son of Lucious (Terrence Howard) and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) battling his father's homophobia.

In real life, Smollett's sexuality has been a topic of conversation, and now he's setting the record straight.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres conducted backstage at Ellen, he confirmed that he is gay and explained why he's never felt the need to discuss his personal life.

"There's never been a closet. That I've been in. I don't own a closet, I got a dresser, but I don't have a closet, but I have a home and that is my responsibility to protect that home. ... So that's why I choose not to talk about my personal life. But there is without a doubt, no closet that I've ever been in, and I just wanted to make that clear, but it was most important for me to make that clear to you on your show at this time in the world. And that's where I'm at. ... So, let's not read into it in the wrong way when I say that I don't talk about my personal life, I'm saying that. But it is in no way to hide or deny who God made me. You know? My mama knows. My mama likes me a lot. And, yes, I take her to the Sound of Music sing-along every single year. So, any questions? But honestly, we're human and we love and we do all that good stuff. So I'm honored for this opportunity and I'm honored to be here with you."

Until his conversation with DeGeneres, Smollett consistently refused to discuss his sexuality in interviews, telling Sway on his radio show a few weeks ago that fans shouldn't assume that he's gay.

"I'm not willing to confirm or deny anything. I live my life. If someone is looking for a box to put me in, that's not going to happen," he said. "I live my life, and if you really want to know about me, just watch, because I don't hide anything. I just don't choose to talk about my personal life."

Smollett's co-star Malik Yoba made headlines last week when several media outlets and fans accused him of inadvertently outing the actor during an interview with BlackFilm.com.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Yoba denied that he had outed Smollett and was instead just referring to his character, Jamal.

Smollett's other co-stars, Oscar-nominated actresses Henson and Gabourey Sidibe, tweeted their support of his decision to share his private life with the world.

I myself would love to see him holla at Miguel and have a tiny light skinned guy shenanigans go down

He's too cute
It's not our business

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

Hopefully he finds peace in his life it didn't lack peace before.

I heard of his sister before, but not him

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And north
Didn't realize he was a child actor too

Looking at his wiki he was on revenge and mindi kaling
I don't watch those shows though
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

www.royallegacy.org

For Real (Official Video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRoCPO8esE

I watched that sheesh
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

Aren't there like a dozen kids or something? Or am I getting them confused with the Jets (the signing group)?

EDIT - I hit Wiki. There are 6 Smollett kids. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Our_Own_(1994_TV_series)

"known" sibling

They put six black kids in one sitcom and y'all ain't watch?!?!

i hadn't heard of it until this post. and it was set in STL where i grew up.

oh well.

i think i know why i didn't watch - it was on ABC and probably on Friday night w/shows like Family Matters and Full House, i assume. i HATED ABC's Friday night family sitcoms back then. HATED. so i definitely didn't watch this and i probably did hear of it.

fuck you.

It was a Miller-Boyett production like Family Matters, Step by Step, and Full House.

a Jesse Fredricks-penned opening credits song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc-4CGqpFDg

... But them niggas are Debarge'd out the frame.

s.blak
Light Skinneded

keep: looking,searching,seeking,finding

because it was a family of brown faces.

but I don't remember one episode. NOT. ONE.

i watched and was sad when it went off but i dont remember any actual episodes.

www.royallegacy.org

For Real (Official Video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRoCPO8esE

where they stopped having Ralph Louis Harris (who played the oldest brother, despite being brownskinned in an otherwise lightskinned house) dress up in drag as the auntie, gave him custody of the kids, and they brought in a woman as a boarder.

But I watched every episode tho. It was on TGIF inbetween Boy Meets World and Mr. Cooper, while Step by Step was in limbo for some reason.

vaguely lol

i wonder why jurnee is the only one who really rocked with the acting thing all these years
i guess she's the most talented in that regard?

www.royallegacy.org

For Real (Official Video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRoCPO8esE

Jojo is living a normal life
Jazz works in entertainment, but behind the scenes as a producer
Jussie wanted to be a singer, not an actor.
Jake has a food video blog.
Jocqui acts here and there.

Don't ask me how I know all of this lol.

thanks for the update though i was legit about to google what the rest of them are doing and now i don't have to lolol

www.royallegacy.org

For Real (Official Video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRoCPO8esE

I was like "yooooo! Another Smollett! Jurnee finally let them out of the wig crypt or wherever she kept them hid!"

www.royallegacy.org

For Real (Official Video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRoCPO8esE

I'm like I know I watched but I don't remember

Lemme go you tube
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

He played a gay 20-something dude whose boyfriend (Dustin Ross, now of "The Read" fame) was cheating on him at sex parties.

Yes. He was in a few independent movies and of course that show with his siblings.

"We don't make mistakes, we just have happy little accidents" - Bob Ross

"I'm wearing a MSU Tshirt because I went to MSU, you are wearing a UM Tshirt because you went to Walmart!" -unknown.

http://bjsquirrelchronicles.blogspot.com

#everybody


does it really matter?

wonder what bin's doing?
http://i.imgur.com/phECCMp.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l433n5zAxAU

fuck you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufhZ2yUHj9Y

fuck you.

so lets not play that game


does it really matter?

wonder what bin's doing?
http://i.imgur.com/phECCMp.jpg

he played a gay character who had a lover. there was even a sex scene.

his portrayal was convincing enough to win an Academy Award.

he's gay, right?

fuck you.

Ving Rhames?
Sorry just adding on
I know you got this though
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

i went w/Oscar winners b/c it'd be hard to argue their portrayals weren't convincing.

Bin has said that only gay actors can play gay characters convincingly.

i mean, of course he's loud and wrong on that and everyone knows it - himself included. so i doubt he'll have much if anything to say in response.

fuck you.

*snickers*
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

once in a decade or so.


does it really matter?

wonder what bin's doing?
http://i.imgur.com/phECCMp.jpg

ok i love that movie lol

*************************************
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"if the children are not initiated into the village they will burn it down just to feel its warmth." - african proverb

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

it wouldnt surprise me whatsoever to learn sean penn had smoked a cock or 3 in his heyday.


does it really matter?

wonder what bin's doing?
http://i.imgur.com/phECCMp.jpg

Robin Wright didn't know?

Charlize Theron didn't know?

that their man is gay?

and all it takes to play the wide range of emotions and motivations that can inform a well done portrayal of a gay character is to suck a couple dicks?

fuck you, bin.

that shit was funny before but it's not now. it'd be one thing if you're saying a guy who performs well in gay porn must have had some experience at the sex acts before. that's also stupid but not as insulting as you saying that sucking a dick gives one some actual insight into what it's like to actually be a gay guy such that one can convincingly portray experiences that go beyond dick sucking. you have reduced all of the gay experience to a fucking sex act.

fuck that.

you can keep this hee-haw shit. you need to learn when to shut the fuck up sometimes.

fuck you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq70brIQP40

fuck you.

i kid i kid... but on a slightly different note does he remind anyone else of Ryan Leslie?

I got a good life man

www.twitter.com/luvlee2003

♥♥♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

www.royallegacy.org

For Real (Official Video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBRoCPO8esE

So not shocking. He's dating an old friend of mine. Good for him I didn't think he was hiding it at all, but people assume.

"We don't make mistakes, we just have happy little accidents" - Bob Ross

"I'm wearing a MSU Tshirt because I went to MSU, you are wearing a UM Tshirt because you went to Walmart!" -unknown.

http://bjsquirrelchronicles.blogspot.com

'i don't discuss my private life' answer when questioned about their love life or sexual orientation.

further, the majority of str8 actors jump at the chance to confirm their heterosexuality when playing a gay character - especially if they perform in a sex scene. it's b/c they don't wanna be mistakenly type cast - and also b/c too many of them are homophobic themselves and project their homophobia on the public and Hollywood insiders which makes them needlessly and annoyingly defensive. Jussie didn't play that card in response to a question about his sexual orientation and went w/the 'i don't discuss my private life' answer instead. put it all together and i understand why folks thought he's closeted. i'd have thought so too had i read about it before i read about his statement on 'Ellen'.

fuck you.

"when I was growin' up if we wanted a jacuzzi we had to fart in the tub!"

He was far, far, far from the only person up for that role.

Lee Daniels blew his budget on Terence and Taraji and all the guest appearances so he had to go with unknowns for the rest of the cast, the 3 sons on Empire are easily the worst actors on the show and were probably hired for their looks more than anything else, lol

"when I was growin' up if we wanted a jacuzzi we had to fart in the tub!"

We've given Jussie's resume here.

The youngest (Yazz) is new to acting.

The issue of contention is that they were looking for actor/musicians without record deals, and hundreds of dudes wanted those parts (as evidenced by the din of "I was supposed to be on Empire!" cries). That generally restricts them to unknowns or former child stars who ain't worked in a minute. They got one of each.

They also had to look like they could be Terrence and Taraji's children. Which means anyone who doesn't pass the paper-bag test automatically flunks. Lance Gross had advanced through some of the early rounds of auditioning for Andre (oldest son) before Terrence Howard was cast as Lucious. Corbin Bleu was up for Jamal's part, and Quincy Brown (Combs?) for Hakeem.

Plus damn near every other young brother in Hollywood and beyond. Even if you don't think Jussie's doing a good job (I do), apparently there were a few hundred other dudes who were worse.

I think Jussie's acting is just fine; it's that the show, itself, is designed to be so melodramatic and over-the-top, and so much of Jamal's dialogue in particular is so on-the-nose as far as discussing homophobia that Jussie may as well be turning to the camera and addressing the viewers at home. In that stagey sort of obviousness, however, it matches the tone of its spirit animal, "Dynasty".

That's not his fault. It's the format of the program.

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Seems he has implied that he is gay without actually saying it.

Somehow I recall gays being criticized by other gays for not just coming out and saying it...

Does his choice of words somehow avoid that?

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>Somehow I recall gays being criticized by other gays for not
>just coming out and saying it...
>
>Does his choice of words somehow avoid that?

it's fine. he's not on that Queen Latifah tip. she str8 denies it or at best plays coy. Jussie is still being a little coy but not like Latifah b/c he's said he's not in the closet and hasn't been. that's fine.

fuck you.

---
but have you ever checked out my website? www.dtaylorimages.com

"when I was growin' up if we wanted a jacuzzi we had to fart in the tub!"

but he takes Mother Smollett to The Sound of Music singalong every year.

I'm just saying. He told you everything you need to know.

So it's like he made it a point to make this bold statement without actually making a bold statement.

His prerogative, but I just didn't understand the applause.

---
but have you ever checked out my website? www.dtaylorimages.com

i dunno enough about him in particular but i know plenty young queers (especially black ones) reject the 'gay' label b/c to them 'gay ppl' are old white men. they have their own labels or they get cute when talking about their sexuality.

but i agree - he gave us enough to know what's what.

fuck you.

Oh

"He's becoming a top; that's what it takes to make it to the top!"

prototype

stand ur ground, believe in urself,
believe in love, prepare urself for love, remove the negativity from ur life, and accept the love u kno u deserve