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| Repression starring Terrence Howard. |
Actor Terrence Howard revealed that he refused to portray Marvin Gaye in a potential film because of the Motown singer's rumored homosexuality, saying he'd cut his lips off if he ever kissed a man.
The former "Empire" star made the comment during a nearly two-hour appearance on Libertarian Zionist Bill Maher's "Club Random" podcast. Howard told Maher he turned town a chance to play Smokey Robinson because he was in talks with director Lee Daniels for a possible biopic of Gaye.
"You know what happened with that? I was over at Quincy Jones' house ... I'm asking Quincy, 'I'm hearing rumors that Marvin was gay,'" Howard said. "And I'm like, 'Was he gay?' And Quincy is like, 'Yes.'"
Daniels, who was an executive producer on "Empire," has not made a film or television series about Gaye's life and it's unclear when Howard had these conversations. Jones, a celebrated music producer, died in November last year.
Gaye was married to two women during his life and was not openly queer.
Howard went on to say that the filmmakers would have wanted to explore Gaye's rumored homosexuality and that he could not kiss a man.
"I would cut my lips off," Howard said. "If I kissed a man, I would cut my lips off."
Howard attributed it to him not being able to "fake it" and he could not act a role he did not understand. Maher told Howard he would not want to a kiss a man either, but "I would not do that" in reference to Howard's self-mutilation comment.
"It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man," Maher said, comparing it to gay men who would not be interested in women sexually.
The comment received some backlash online, with some calling Howard "deeply problematic" and others urging people to stop interviewing Howard. One X user questioned how many times Howard was going to tell the world "he is uncomfortable with his masculinity."
"He performs masculinity for the approval and acceptance of cishet men and despises gay men," the user wrote. "We know already."
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| Marvin Gaye was an iconic performer. |
Another brought up Howard's history with domestic abuse following allegations made by two of his former wives. The user wrote, given the allegations, "I'm having a hard time believing he likes women."
The actor admitted in a 2015 Rolling Stone interview that he hit his ex-wife Lori McCommas in 2001.
Michelle Ghent, Howard's second wife, accused him of assaulting her in a lawsuit that she later dropped. Howard told Rolling Stone that Ghent was attempting to pepper-spray him and he was trying to bat her away.
Marvin Gaye was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, which earned him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul", and is often considered one of the greatest singers of all time.
Gaye intervened in a fight between his parents in the family house in the West Adams neighborhood of Western Heights in Los Angeles. He became involved in a physical altercation with his father, Marvin Gay Sr., who shot Gaye twice, once in the chest, piercing his heart, and then into his shoulder. The shooting took place in Gaye's bedroom at 12:38 p.m. Gaye was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m. after his body arrived at California Hospital Medical Center.
After Gaye's funeral, his body was cremated at Forest Lawn Memorial Park–Hollywood Hills, and his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean. Gay Sr. was initially charged with first-degree murder, but the charges were reduced to voluntary manslaughter following a diagnosis of a brain tumor. He was given a suspended six-year sentence and probation. He died at a nursing home in 1998.
Marvin was a heavy marijuana user, during the beginning of his tenure as a member of Harvey and the Moonglows, and he would remain a heavy user throughout his life. Marvin was first introduced to cocaine in the early 1960s. At first, Marvin had issues snorting, so he would use it by either rubbing it on his gums or eating it, but by the late 1970s, he had developed a serious dependence and addiction to the drug and would later begin freebasing while in London. The singer was also a user of PCP.
Gaye was briefly sober after having moved to Belgium under the watchful eye of Freddy Cousaert, only to relapse when he returned to the United States from Belgium in October 1982. His addiction led to increasing paranoia and depression. During the promotion of his Sexual Healing Tour, he wore a bullet-proof vest and brought along bodyguards with loaded pistols because he feared for his life, as he was convinced that someone was plotting to kill him. When an autopsy was produced on Marvin, they found minor traces of cocaine in his system. Judge Ronald George believed that PCP, or angel dust, was present in Marvin's system, but this was due to a misreading of the coroner's report.
Gaye attempted suicide at least three times. The first occurred in 1969 when he was holed up at a Detroit apartment. Gaye, despondent from his failing marriage at the time, sought to shoot himself with a handgun. Berry Gordy's father, "Pops", eventually stopped this attempt. In 1979, while in Maui, Gaye ingested one ounce (28 g) of cocaine in a second suicide attempt. Gaye explained later, "I'd given up. The problems were too big for me. I just wanted to be left alone and blow my brains on high-octane toot. It would be a slow but relatively pleasant death, certainly less messy than a gun."
Four days before his death, according to his sister Jeanne, Marvin again attempted suicide by jumping out of a speeding sports car, only to suffer minor bruises. According to Frankie Gaye, after he found him dying from his gunshot wounds, Gaye explained that he had his father shoot him because he "couldn't do it himself". In an interview a year before his death in 1984, he explained his bouts with depression, stating that during his exile, he was "a manic-depressive. I was at my lowest ebb. I really didn't feel like I was loved. Because I didn't feel love, I felt useless."
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend's social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline's website or the Crisis Text Line's website.
You can get help if you, loved one or friend are dealing with drug abuse.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
If you are in an abusive relationship, you can call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text "Start" at 88788. Call 911 if you are in danger.
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