Rumor of the Day

August 30, 2006 by Marc Lamont Hill

For the past week, false rumors have been spreading that Ne-Yo, Def Jam’s R&B sensation, told an Essence Magazine reporter that he was gay. Although I do not know whether or not he is gay, NeYo certainly didn’t make such a confession to Essence magazine.

First, the alleged press release is filled with horrific misspellings. Also, the alleged reporter, “Barbra Stradoff” (note the odd spelling of Barbara) cannot be found through the internet or the magazine’s contributers list. Lastly, I contacted Essence magazine and they confirmed that no such story exists.

I’m always shocked and amazed that people take the time to create and spread rumors about famous people. I’m also disappointed that websites and traditional media outlets — I saw the rumor printed in a local Philadelphia newspaper yesterday — were so willing to spread such an extremely shaky story.

Still, it is interesting to consider how the world would respond to Ne-Yo if he were outed. Although Black America has always had its share of gay R&B singers, they have always operated under a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. In recent history, few if any singers who defied the industry’s hetero-normative logic have experienced any long term success. Since Ne-Yo has already achieved success and developed a fan base, would he be an exception to the rule or become another Jesse Powell or Tevin Campbell?

Categories: MLH
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22 Comments

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August 30, 2006 @ 4:44 pm

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