Latest news with #Pee-weeasHimself
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Mortician' Becomes HBO's Most-Watched Documentary Series In Over 5 Years
EXCLUSIVE: The Mortician is piquing audience interest for HBO. The three-part documentary series, which chronicles the inhumane practices at a funeral home in Southern California, debuted on June 1. Since then, the show has tallied more than 2.6M cross-platform viewers in the U.S., per the network. More from Deadline 'Love Island USA' Season 7 Sets New Bar For Series, Soaring Past 1B Minutes Viewed In Week After Debut, Per Luminate HBO's Steve Carell Comedy Series Adds Annie Mumolo 'Somebody Somewhere's Tim Bagley On Finding The Humor In The "Depth And Darkness" Of Life & Showing The "Openness Of Your Heart" In Song It's now the most-watched HBO documentary series in over five years. That means it's beat out some high profile documentaries like Pee-wee as Himself, Chimp Crazy, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God and more. This is certainly a strong performance for the series, likely aided by the vote of confidence from HBO to place it in the network's marquee 9 p.m. Sunday night slot, following on the heels of The Last of Us, The White Lotus and The Gilded Age. That generally has signaled to viewers that a series should be on their radar and thus can be a force for driving engagement. The Mortician follows a trusted family-owned funeral home that hid behind a façade of decency and propriety to take advantage of loved ones at their most vulnerable moments. In the early 1980s, David Sconce, scion of the Lamb family, took over the family business and sought to exploit the deceased in numerous ways to expand their earnings. Driven by profit, the Lamb Funeral Home in Pasadena, California engaged in years of morally questionable and inhumane practices. Featuring an exclusive interview with Sconce, newly released from prison, the series examines the lucrative and ubiquitous multibillion-dollar mortuary industry and illuminates what can happen behind closed doors, away from public scrutiny. With emotional interviews with families of the victims of the Lamb Funeral Home and revelations from former employees, The Mortician unravels a dark, troubling story that involved mass cremations and stealing from the dead in a multitude of macabre ways. The scandal shook Southern California and as members of the family stood trial, the funeral industry took heed, bringing about tighter regulations and allowing for greater transparency into the business of death. A testimony from Sconce, who tells his side of the story with animated energy and candor, anchors the series. The HBO unscripted series is directed and executive produced by Joshua Rofé and executive produced by Steven J. Berger for Number 19 and Strong Baby's Jonah Hill and Matt Dines. Best of Deadline 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Pee-wee as Himself': Director Matt Wolf on exploring the duality of Paul Reubens and earning his trust — ‘It was a constant struggle'
When Matt Wolf took on the daunting task of creating a documentary about the enigmatic Paul Reubens, the man behind the flamboyant and charming Pee-wee Herman, the filmmaker never could have imagined just how deeply layered the story would be. Now, in Wolf's Pee-wee as Himself, audiences are given an unprecedented look at a fiercely private artist whose boundary-pushing creativity and resilience impacted an entire generation. The two-part HBO documentary introduces viewers to Reubens in an unexpected way: as an eccentric figure claiming to have been born in 1938 on the banks of the Mississippi River. It's humor that cuts straight to the core of who Reubens was, but also hints at the complicated man behind the bowtie. Wolf admits that the opening moments of a documentary often come together through trial and error: "Oh, I don't know. You just try stuff out and it sticks and we probably tried that immediately as the first thing and it stuck. I mean, it's funny." More from GoldDerby 'Gypsy' and 'Just in Time' producer Tom Kirdahy on serving a 'social and cultural need' through creative work TV Visual Effects supervisor roundtable: 'Black Mirror,' 'The Boys,' 'The Wheel of Time' 'The Wheel of Time' VFX supervisor Andy Scrase: 'I always think of visual effects as the magic of filmmaking' For Wolf, getting a chance to tell Reubens' story required more than just persistence — it required fate. 'People, when you make documentaries, ask who's your dream subject? And mine always was Paul,' Wolf tells Gold Derby. After several unsuccessful attempts to connect with the famously private Reubens, a serendipitous sequence of events involving the Safdie brothers [Benny and Josh], who were at one point rumored to be working on an autobiographical Pee-wee film, ultimately led to Reubens reaching out to Wolf through producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff. From the outset, however, trust was a challenge. Reubens, known for his intense control over his public image, was reluctant to relinquish that same control for the film. "It was hard. It was a constant struggle of trying to earn Paul's trust, but to also accept that there were limits to how much he was willing to trust somebody," Wolf explains. Reubens' fraught history with the media, where he felt his personal story was often misrepresented, left him wary. "I empathized with where he was coming from," Wolf continues, "but trust is a foundation of what we do as documentary filmmakers. ... And Paul was somebody incapable of taking a leap of faith." Over the course of hundreds of hours of conversations, the two worked to find a middle ground, even as Wolf recognized that Reubens would never completely let his guard down. Courtesy of HBO Unbeknownst to Wolf and the crew, Reubens was privately battling cancer while filming the documentary. "I was scheduled to complete a final interview with Paul the week after he died," Wolf shares. "I found out that Paul died on Instagram, the day he died, along with everybody else." The reveal added an even deeper emotional weight to the production. Despite this devastating blow, Wolf pressed on, knowing Reubens wanted the documentary to move forward, giving his blessing in their final conversations. 'I read the 1,500-page transcript of our interview right after [he passed],' Wolf recounts. 'I wanted to rise to the occasion and do justice under these extraordinary circumstances.' The film explores the duality that defined Reubens' career: Pee-wee Herman, the irrepressible, childlike alter ego, and Paul Reubens, the man behind the magic. It's a balancing act few have undertaken successfully, as Wolf points out: 'Somebody else who's in the film that's done that a bit is Elvira, Cassandra Peterson. But it's a small club of people who live as their alter ego. And Paul was kind of the most visible member of that club.' Reubens made a conscious choice to keep Pee-wee a separate entity, a concept born out of both creative and personal motivations. "He wanted people to believe that Pee-wee Herman was a real person,' Wolf explains, 'but on a deeper level, Paul was very protective of his privacy and anonymity." HBO/Pee-wee Herman Productions, Inc. As the documentary delves into Reubens' life before Pee-wee, it reveals the formative influences that shaped not only the character but the artist himself. From his art school days at CalArts to performing as an openly gay man before retreating into the closet for his career, Reubens' trajectory captures the struggles and compromises of a queer artist in the entertainment industry of the 1980s. "He chose to go into the closet to focus on his career,' Wolf notes. 'It was a personal but also pragmatic decision, knowing that in the early 1980s, an openly gay man would not be able to rise in the entertainment industry." Reubens' rejection from Saturday Night Live became the catalyst for Pee-wee Herman's creation. "I think that rejection really kind of emboldened Paul to take matters into his own hands," Wolf observes. From a midnight play at the Groundlings to the cult success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Reubens carved out a path that was quintessentially his own. HBO/Pee-wee Herman Productions, Inc. Collaborating with now-iconic director Tim Burton on his feature debut, Reubens enjoyed a type of creative freedom and naïveté in Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Wolf reflects on Burton's experience making the film: 'You're just kind of putting it all out there. And I think there was something very naive about the making of Pee-wee's Big Adventure that allowed it to be very pure." His subsequent Saturday morning show, Pee-wee's Playhouse, broke barriers with its artistic vision and diverse cast. 'In some ways, people recognize that the show was revolutionary,' Wolf says. 'But to watch in more specific detail the types of things that they accomplished and the ambition of it, it will be undeniable how singular it was as a cultural phenomenon.' The documentary doesn't shy away from the controversy that derailed Reubens' career. The incident in an adult movie theater — and subsequent false allegations of child pornography — forever altered public perception. Wolf describes the impacts of that time: "Paul was in a state of shock for a number of years and it had a profound impact on his life... But thankfully we were able to see him in his full breadth of talents as a character actor." Reubens' ability to persevere and work through those challenges is a testament to his resilience. "[He] was a resilient person," Wolf emphasizes. "I didn't see him as a victim. I think he proved over and over again that he could overcome hardship and kind of put his work first." For decades, Pee-wee and Paul existed as two separate beings, a distinction even immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Pee-wee Herman has a star — Paul Reubens does not. Wolf hopes that his documentary helps fuse these two sides of the same coin. "Paul Reubens created Pee-wee Herman," Wolf reminded us. 'Now that Paul has passed away ... I hope people can respect and appreciate the artist that was always there within, behind, and alongside his creation.' Pee-wee as Himself is currently streaming on Max. Best of GoldDerby TV Visual Effects supervisor roundtable: 'Black Mirror,' 'The Boys,' 'The Wheel of Time' 'The Wheel of Time' VFX supervisor Andy Scrase: 'I always think of visual effects as the magic of filmmaking' 'The Boys' VFX supervisor Stephan Fleet explains why a one-minute shot 'took about 17 hours' to make Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marc Maron's ‘Are We Good?': What happens when stars clash with their documentary filmmakers
In Steven Feinartz's documentary Are We Good? about comedian and podcast pioneer Marc Maron, the director and subject grapple over who is in control of the narrative. When Feinartz suggests animating still photographs to help chronicle both Maron's career and his life after the unexpected death of his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, the comedian is against it. Yet Feinartz, who had full creative control over the project, used the animation anyway. More from GoldDerby Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, and Wynn Thomas to receive honorary Oscars TV's double threats: 10 actors eyeing nominations for both comedy and drama at the 2025 Emmys Beyond Alexis Bledel: 7 other times actors withdrew themselves from Emmy consideration "The moment I mentioned animation, I could already hear [Marc] recoiling," says Feinartz. "If the film didn't have that back and forth, it wouldn't feel like a Maron doc. He's not someone who just sits back and lets you tell his story. There was trust, but also a kind of tension." Are We Good?, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 14, is the latest celebrity documentary that incorporates a star subject visibly and verbally struggling with their decision to surrender creative authority to a director. Matt Wolf's HBO documentary series Pee-wee as Himself and Bess Kargman's Diane Warren: Relentless, about the Oscar-nominated songwriter, also feature on-camera, often uncomfortable, banter between the subject and the director about who should have control over a story that each wants to tell differently. (In both cases, the director had complete control over the project and its final cut.) In the opening sequence of Wolf's Pee-wee as Himself, the late artist and performer Paul Reubens tells the camera, "You are not supposed to control your own documentary. You are supposed to [make] people, many people, alright, everyone but me, feel that as the subject of a documentary that you really don't have a handle. Have a take. What's the word I'm looking for? What is everyone telling me that I don't have on myself?' "Perspective,' Wolf can be heard saying off-camera, to which Reubens responds, 'You and I are going to be arguing [about that] for a long, long time. Until this documentary is finished. You mark my words.' Wolf and Reubens' contentious verbal relationship is captured throughout the two-part series, which premiered on HBO in May. "Paul and I were involved in a power struggle," says Wolf. "He didn't like the answer 'no,' and as a director, I'm accustomed to getting my way. We had similar ideas about his story and how it should be told. I just needed Paul to let go, so that I could do what I needed to do to reappraise him as an artist. I think at the end of the day, Paul and I wanted the same thing. However, to achieve those goals, I needed to be tough about maintaining my editorial autonomy." SEE'Pee-wee as Himself': Director Matt Wolf on exploring the duality of Paul Reubens and earning his trust — 'It was a constant struggle' In Kargman's Relentless, which debuted at SXSW in 2024, Warren's prolific songwriting career is examined. So is Warren's innate desire not to discuss her creative process or show up for certain interviews. At one point in the documentary, Warren tells Kargman that a camera is placed at a bad angle before grabbing it and repositioning it. At several points in the film, Kargman confronts Warren about her production power plays. Kargman says that while she didn't want the audience to hear her voice in Relentless, she also wanted them to know what it was like to be in her shoes and "experience what I was experiencing." "As I say in the film Diane had a wall up, and I was trying to break through it," she says. "I wanted the audience to experience the occasional deep frustration I had, so you hear me challenge her. In a perfect world, I would not have put myself in the film." To hear Feinartz, Wolf, and Kargman verbally debate with their respective subjects about style, storytelling, or final cut gives each film tension and an air of authenticity. "If anything, the banter between me and Marc just made things more transparent," says Feinartz. "You see me trying to make a film, you see him pushing back. It's less about control and more about letting the mess be part of the film." The power struggle unfolding in all three documentaries is, at times, jarring but also entertaining. Arguably, the breaking of the fourth wall is more captivating than the profile being told, which could, in part, be due to the fact that most celebrity-driven documentaries are boring self-produced infomercials that offer little in the way of new, unusual, or engrossing information about the subject. Practically any doc featuring a musician — Halftime about Jennifer Lopez, Miss Americana about Taylor Swift, and Homecoming about Beyoncé — is a carefully constructed commercial produced by the star or their record label. While recent celebrity documentaries like Elton John: Never Too Late, Martha, Beckham, and The Last Dance were all insightful, there is the issue of subjects being paid to participate, which raises questions about creative control and merit. "I definitely wanted the audience to be clear that this is not a puff piece, or a vanity project," says Wolf. "However, more importantly, control was an important theme in the film. Paul separated himself from Pee-wee Herman as an artistic and professional choice, but also as a way to protect his anonymity. When that precise separation crumbled after Paul's arrest, it was devastating for him. Paul lost control of his personal narrative in the media, so it was very relevant that he struggled with issues of control in the documentary. I was less interested in making a meta-commentary on celebrity documentaries, and more interested in understanding Paul's experiences both in the past and in the present while making the documentary." The recent trend toward push-pull celeb-docs docs is a welcome diversion from the puff pieces that soft-pedal around their A-list subjects. But it's anyone's guess at this point if distributors will get behind raw docs about celebrities or stick with what works — fake docs about celebrities. Are We Good? is seeking distribution. Best of GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Manganiello, Who Starred in ‘Pee-wee's Big Holiday,' Chokes Up Remembering Late Friend Paul Reubens: 'I Was His Biggest Fan'
There's renewed interest in the life and career of Paul Reubens thanks to the critically acclaimed two-part documentary Pee-Wee as Himself from HBO Max. The film, from filmmaker Matt Wolf, recently hit the streamer after a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Wolf worked closely with Reubens in pulling together the project, culled from more than 40 hours of on-camera interviews and 1,000 hours of archival footage and shaped over what turned out to be an emotional rollercoaster lasting four years. More from The Hollywood Reporter Matt Wolf Says Filmmaker Buddies Convinced Him to Re-Cut 'Pee-wee as Himself' to Include ... Himself Netflix EMEA Content Boss Touts 'Adolescence,' Debunks a "Myth," Talks Ted Sarandos' Acting Debut 'Lost in Starlight' Director Han Ji-won on Blending Romance and Sci-Fi for Netflix's Breakthrough Korean Animated Feature On the heels of Sundance revealing the 2025 lineup last December, The Hollywood Reporter happened to be on Zoom with Joe Manganiello to discuss the latest season of his buzzy new reality competition series Deal or No Deal Island. As the interview was winding down, THR asked Manganiello about the documentary and Reubens, someone he got to know quite well when he filmed a starring role in Netflix's 2016 film Pee-Wee's Big Holiday. As it turned out, Manganiello had been thinking a lot about his friend, who died on July 30, 2023, following a private battle with cancer. 'I love Paul and I miss Paul a lot,' Manganiello said, adding that he had recently woken up after having a dream about Reubens. 'Paul showed up and pranked me with a practical joke in my dream. It was one of those dreams when you wake up and it feels really real. It was so vivid. I just thought, gosh, if there was anyone on the planet who would use the afterlife to figure out how to play a practical joke on his friends and prank them in their sleep, it would be Paul. He was so generous.' As has been well-documented, Reubens loved birthdays and would never let one slip by without making it special. 'When he found out when your birthday was, he would bombard you with birthday cards, birthday messages, birthday texts, birthday videos the entire day,' Manganiello recalled. 'Friends of mine who just met him in passing through me, he would get their numbers and do it to 'em, too.' In the film, Manganiello plays himself and the actor recalled that Reubens wrote the part specifically for him, calling the gesture 'a validation that one of the great comedic geniuses would call me up' to be his partner on the film. 'He was such a genius, but he didn't demand that you treated him that way. I remember when we went to set the first day, I said, 'Paul, when we get there, am I calling you Paul or am I calling you Pee-wee? Are you in character?' He said, 'No, I'm Paul.' When I got there, he was there in a full-on suit and bow-tie [like Pee-Wee] but he was still Paul. He really wanted to set you up to win.' Starring Reubens as the iconic Pee-wee Herman, the John Lee-directed Pee-wee's Big Holiday follows the adventures of the title character after a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires him to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny. The cast also includes Jessica Pohly, Alia Shawkat and Stephanie Beatriz. Reubens co-wrote the film with Paul Rust and produced it alongside Judd Apatow. As for the doc, at the time of THR's interview, Manganiello hadn't yet seen Pee-Wee as Himself, but he was excited by the fact that it exists. 'It's a good time for it and I think it's going to be really effective since it comes from his perspective,' said the veteran star. 'I think there's a lot of confusion with people about out what he was in trouble for and what he wasn't in trouble for, and that narrative has gotten really muddy. I think that he really did get a raw deal, and it really hurt him deeply. He was someone that felt things really deeply, and it's sad for me because I look back and I think about what the world would've been like had he not had to go into this self-imposed exile or this kind of society-imposed exile. It was dumb.' Manganiello, like so many of Reubens' close friends and collaborators, did not know about his years-long battle with cancer. And speaking about him in the interview caused him to get choked up and fight back tears, an emotional moment that he later discussed with People Magazine. 'I think about him all the time. I miss him a lot. He was like a family member. He would come over for Thanksgiving, he would come over to the house all the time, or I'd go to his [house],' recalled Manganiello, getting teary. 'He sent me a video before he passed away. It was just him talking about how much he loved me and how great I was in the movie and how funny he thought I was, how great of an actor he thought I was. It was just this glowing, unbelievable video. I didn't realize that he was sending that because he knew that his time was going to be short. I still have it in my phone and it's hard knowing that it's in there, but that's just the kind of person that he was. He let everybody that he loved know that he loved him all the time. I just feel so privileged to have had the chance to work with him on that intimate of a level and to get to know him as a person. I was his biggest fan. I loved him. I'll always miss him.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
26 celebs who came out in 2025 (so far)
TheStewartofNY/Getty Images; Brian D. McLaughlin/Michael;Anna Camp, Paul Reubens, and Valentina While many people, especially in younger generations, may not see "coming out" as a big deal in 2025, it still is for many others. Coming out not only allows a person to live as their most authentic self, but also lets those with a spotlight show others what kind of possibilities there are in life. It may be considered an aphorism today, but the phrase "if you can't see it, you can't be it" still holds a lot of truth. These celebrities who came out in 2025 are reminding us that coming out can still be a powerful tool for self-empowerment and raising awareness that LGBTQ+ people can look any way and come from anywhere. Celebrities who came out in 2024 included Maren Morris, Kelly Marie Tran, Tom Hollander, and Amanda Tori Meating came out. In 2025, a new list of stars have embraced their most authentic selves. Known for starring in the Pitch Perfect movies and the Netflix show You, actor Anna Camp casually came out this year in a TikTok interview where she was asked what she expects from a guy on a date. "Well, I don't expect anything from a guy anymore because I'm dating a woman, and it's great," she answered, gesturing to her girlfriend Jade Whipkey. Actor, comedian, and performer Paul Reubens, best known for his Pee-wee Herman character, came out in the documentary Pee-wee as Himself, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Reubens, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 70, would often make veiled references to his sexuality late in his career, but didn't come out until the posthumous documentary. Dancer, singer, and reality star JoJo Siwa had a busy time coming out on Celebrity Big Brother UK this year. When Siwa joined the show, they updated their pronouns to "anything you feel on that day, whatever I look like, you can call me." Later on the show, they opened up about their gender. "Essentially, you have female, you have male. I've met a lot of females, love them, don't feel like I'm them. Met a lot of males, love them, definitely not them," she said. "Met a lot of people in my life that are nonbinary, and these beautiful nonbinary people are who I feel the most like." She also realized that she wanted to change her label. "I feel, like, so queer, do you konw what I mean? I think that's the thing, I've always told myself I'm a lesbian, and I thinb here, I've realized: 'Oh, I'm not a lesbian, I'm queer.' And that's really cool," she said. "I'm switching letters! F**k the 'L,' I'm going to the 'Q'!" De Niro, who is the 29-year-old daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro, came out as a trans woman in a cover story for Them this year. "I think a big part of [my transition] is also the influence Black women have had on me," De Niro explained. "I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way." Reid is one of the most popular authors today, with hit books like 2017's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, 2019's Daisy Jones and The Six, and her new novel, Atmosphere. "My attraction to women is a room in the house that is my identity — Alex [husband] understood this book was about me spending time in that room," the author told Time magazine about writing queer women characters. "He was so excited for me, like, 'What a great way for you to express this side of you.' And he helped me get the book to be as romantic and beautiful as it could be." RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 star Aja had come out as a trans woman back in 2021, and this year, came out as bisexual. "Had the realization today that I am definitely bisexual and have been in denial about it," she wrote on X. "Welp. I guess I'm coming out. I'm bisexual." In a post celebrating her 34th birthday, RuPaul's Drag Race superstar Valentina came out as a trans woman. "Hello everyone, it's me Valentina Xunaxi. Today is my bday. I turn 34," she wrote on Instagram. "For some time now I've been in transition, I've been doing it privately but today I wanted to open and share with you all. Along the way I've felt pressure to come forward, so I've decided and wanted to take today to declare myself as a transgender woman. I welcome all the love, support and protection from my dear fans. Thank you so much." Country singer Tanner Adell, who had the viral hit "Buckle Bunny" and was featured on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album on the song "BLACKBIIRD," came out as pansexual. "It's funny when people ask me my sexual orientation, but I feel like you should be able to hear that in my music," she said. "There's more of that coming." In an essay for Them, comedian and writer James Tom came out with a new name and attraction to men. "Testosterone allowed me to access a latent desire for men that had likely always existed, but felt impossible to realize as a 'woman.' As a boy, though, dick became ubiquitous," Tom wrote. "There are cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes to see. I took to f****try like a fish in water, and with my new gay surroundings came new ways for people to perceive me, and more importantly, new ways for me to perceive myself." Nonbinary actor Jack Haven, known for starring in films like I Saw the TV Glow and the Netflix show Atypical, announced a name change this year. "Haven is after my great great uncle, Haven Gillespie who was a songwriter known for the xmas hit 'Santa Clause is Coming to Town,' which he wrote on the subway in 15 minutes. and first name Jack has stuck," Haven wrote on Instagram. "Two years ago in a workshop led by @saman_arastoo I began using this name. I said I was using it in safe spaces. Saman said use it in dangerous spaces. So I use it in the mens bathroom." British alt-pop singer Lola Young came out as bisexual in reply to a TikTok comment saying "no man deserves this" posted on a video of her singing. "I like p***y as well u kno," Young replied. Actor Suprya Ganesh, who plays Dr. Samira Mohan on the hit HBO Max series The Pitt, opened up about being queer and using she/they pronouns in an interview with Variety this year. "There are a couple of times where I'm existing outside of [femme-ness], and I don't always totally feel like I'm fitting into what I think is a very white-conceived perception of femininity," they said. "I also want queer brown women to look at me and know that that's someone they can turn to and relate to."Barry Diller The billionaire media mogul and longtime husband of fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg came out as "bi with Di," saying he his gay and von Furstenberg is the only woman he's loved in his new memoir, Who Knew. K-pop singer Bain, who is a member of the group JUST B, came out during a concert in April this year. All right, before I sing this next song, tonight I wanna share something with you guys," he said. "I'm f**king proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community." Bain then performed a cover of Lady Gaga's gay anthem "Born This Way." Chrichillo is a reality TV star who competed on Survivor and came out as trans in an essay for Cosmopolitan. "I didn't come back to a spouse or a full-time career, like many of my castmates did,' he said in the essay. "I didn't have a passion to replace the 15-year quest that was getting cast. When I think about my future, there's a lot of blurriness. But there's a lifelong accumulation of artifacts that has pulled my identity into focus, inside the museum of my own transness." This Olympic runner, who won a bronze medal in the 1500-meter race at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, opened up about his sexuality and his current relationship this year. On an Instagram post showing pictures of him with another man, Nuguse wrote, "Introducing my boyfriend, Julian. Can't believe we're already one year in my love 💛(Don't act so surprised)." Known professionally as Lara Raj, this singer and member of the group Katseye opened up about her sexuality on the social media platform Weverse. "I knew I was half fruitcake when i was like 8 so i really was wanting everybody," she wrote. "Honestly probably before 8. Isn't 'half fruitcake' such a good way to explain it without saying it?" Gymnast Jade Carey, who has two gold medals and a bronze as a part of the 2020 and 2024 USA Gymnastics teams, came out as queer and revealed she is dating Aimee Sinacola, director of creative content for the University of Oregon Ducks. Isabella is a comic writer known for creating the DC character Black Lightning, as well as Marvel characters Misty Knight and Tigra. She came out as a trans woman this year at the age of 73. "Keep Calm and Yes I'm Transgender," she posted on social media. Floyd, known for playing Neff in the Netflix series Inventing Anna and Dr. Simone Griffith on Grey's Anatomy, opened up about her sexuality on the Made it Out podcast. After revealing that her father came out as gay in his 50s, she said, "So funnily enough, I was pretty closeted growing up. I've had relationships with people of all sorts of gender identities. So I myself, I'm still looking for a definition. I love the word queer because it sort of holds it all." Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia is a social media star and podcast host who previously dated country singer Zach Bryan. This year, she told her BFFs podcast cohost Josh Richards that she's not interested in having "a boyfriend, like, ever again," and added, "Everyone's saying I'm a lesbian, which is fine. … I've dabbled for sure. I'm thinking maybe girls is my play. I think that they're better, so maybe I really am fully a lesbian, so maybe that's why none of my relationships with men have worked out. But I don't know. Time will tell." Danish professional handballer and podcast host Jensen came out this year in a post on Instagram. "I am gay. Three words that should, in reality, be easy to say, but for many years, I've been afraid to be open about it," he said in his post. Stękała is a Polish ski jumper who took the bronze medal in the 2021 World Championships. He came out in an Instagram post honoring his late partner, who passed away in November. "I wondered for a long time if I would ever find the strength to write these words. For years, I lived in the shadow of fear, in hiding, afraid that who I really am could destroy me," Stękała wrote in a post about his partner of eight years. "Today, however, I don't want to run away anymore. I want you to really know me. I'm gay. For years, I hid it from the world – from you, from the media, and sometimes even from myself." Bennington is the daughter of late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington. She came out as trans in an Instagram post on Valentine's Day this year. "In August of last year, I decided to take the path of happiness and being true to myself," she wrote. "I came out as transgender and started hormone replacement therapy, and it has been the best decision I've ever made in my life," she continued. McGraw is the daughter of country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and while her friends and family have known she is an "out and proud queer, bisexual woman" for a while, the public found out this year during Pride Month. McGraw posted on Instagram that tabloids were saying she "came out," but said she was already out and she has and "will always be very vocal about my support of LGBTQIA+ rights and the community." Rose is the lead singer of the music group The Vandoliers. She came out as trans to Rolling Stone. "I've always been very arms-length with people because of this," she said. "I didn't want anybody to ever find out about it. For 26 years, I've tried to be anything but a trans person, and it never went away."
