WireImage. Within days Congress allocated $221 million to find a cure for AIDS and donations to AIDS charities skyrocketed. Amid a febrile anti-Communist atmosphere, the FBI investigated Hudson, as it did many leading actors, and found that he attended 'large scale homosexual orgies' in Los Angeles. Hudson had a tremendous admiration for Hepburn and dubbed her "a legend." Meanwhile, "Ben-Hur" won11 Academy Awards. But despite his Hollywood success, many people are unaware that Hudson was also an accomplished singer. Griffin writes: Hudson insisted on sending anonymous letters to four individuals he had sexual encounters with prior to his AIDS diagnosis. Dent has been fighting this in court for years. But according to some of Hudsons former employees, there were warning signs from the start that he was taking advantage of him. The book reveals Hudson's inner pain due to decades of living in the closet while publicly playing the role of a red-blooded, heterosexual male pin-up. Oh, but it gets better. Lee Garlington read in Rock Hudson's bio, after his 1985 death, Rock called Lee his "true love." . The doctor asked if Hudson had a lover and he said he did not currently have one, although a former companion Christian was still living with him. I think he liked playing the big brother who came to the rescue., Hudsons career dropped off in in the late 1960s and 70s as he entered his 40s and lost his boyish charm a low point was the disaster film Avalanche which was billed as six million tons of icy terror!. They revealed he once snapped at them in frustration and fear saying: 'I don't have AIDS! Following his death, his ex-lover Marc Christian MacGinnis won a multi-milliondollar settlement from the actors estate, claiming Hudson knowingly exposed him to AIDS. He was a good friend.". In a touching gesture she included a note asking him to get it checked out. Around this time Hudson met the actor George Nader and his partner, Miller, a gay couple who would become so close to him he would leave everything to them upon his death in 1985. In 2014, a woman called Susan Dent, 69, sued Hudsons estate seeking an order establishing paternity she did not seek any money. "Sayonara" wonfour Academy Awards, and Brando was nominated for Best Actor. Willsons pitch for Hudson was as a simple Midwestern hunk, a former truck driver who had turned to acting. But while she claims her intentions are good, his estate isnt so sure. Hudson was was 'so giddy and smitten' he bought Christian a new Mercedes Benz, presents for him and his friends, and acting lessons. ", However, most of Rock's co-stars, directors, and others knew he was gay. Many celebrities attended the event, including Carol Burnett, Glenn Ford, and Ricardo Montalban. By the fall of 1983 Marc Christian, who was 30 at the time and 20 years Hudson's junior, became his boyfriend and replaced Clark as his live-in lover. "We had a marvelous time," she recalled. Hudsons roommate in the early 1950s, Bob Preble, told Griffin that the actor had a couple of experiences in the Navy but did not find them all that enjoyable.. Dent then hired attorneys and began the legal process with her goal being to change her birth certificate to reflect her updated lineage. Before his death, actor Rock Hudson sent his male lovers heartbreaking letters urging them to get tested after he was diagnosed with AIDS, a new book has revealed. William M. Hoffman, the author of As Is, on of the first Broadway plays about AIDS which debuted in 1985, summed up the mood when he said: If Rock Hudson can have it, nice people can have it. What is all this AIDS s***?'. Dent is a woman in her early-70s from Canada. But their friend Stockton Briggle described it as an 'arranged marriage' that 'obviously was never going to work. The question of whether or not their marriage was real has been described as the 'central conundrum' of Hudson's life. These two films were massively successful both critically and commercially. America was initially shocked at the revelation and his implied homosexuality, but it became a milestone in the fight against intolerance toward gay people and those with AIDS. One thing he disapproved of was his stepson expressing interest in being an actor. Alexander was born in 1823, in 1925 and moved to California in 1946 to pursue an action establish. Murphy told the New York Post, "When he started out, he was filled with self-hatred as many gay people are and were. Christian tested negative for AIDS several times after finding out Hudson had the virus but was upset that he had been put at risk of contracting it. Rock Hudson & Susan Saint James In McMillan & Wife Within Hollywoods inner circles, Hudsons homosexuality was not a secret but he kept his sexuality private throughout his life. Hudson left everything to Nader and Miller, his friends of 30 years; his estate was worth an estimated $27 million including real estate holdings. He was the sexiest guy alive, the 74-year-old actress told Page Six on Friday. The memorial service was restricted to those who were personally invited and included approximately 150 people in total. Miller, Hudsons close friend, said that Christian even confessed to him that he had been working as a male escort in the past which caused further tension. According to Griffin, this behavior stemmed from his childhood: "Long before he landed in Hollywood, he understood that if he wanted to be accepted, the very essence of who he was would have to be edited out of the frame. She thought his name was odd, but once she got to know him, she enjoyed his company because he was funny and had a good sense of humor. Instead Hudson returned to the US to star in the TV series Dynasty and returned to Paris for more treatment, but by then his condition deteriorated so much he was beyond help. Hudsons personal life had been cannibalized by his own studio; his torment over his predicament had become the ultimate Hollywood in-joke.. One of the men realized it was Hudson and sold his story to a tabloid but it did not appear until 18 months after Hudsons death in 1985, making him the public face of the AIDS crisis and changing Americas view of the disease. He will be laid to rest beside his beloved father Gordon Dent in a plot in a small country graveyard in Thurso, Quebec, which he has lovingly maintained for many years. Their film "Pillow Talk" was a huge success and earned Day her only Best Actress Academy Award nomination. After a major setback, an appeals court has once again given her claim life. Shortly before he died Hudson donated $250,000 to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which helped to launch it and make it the fundraising powerhouse it is today. If I'm dying it's from liver cancer. She said: If it wasnt Marilyn Monroe crying on his shoulder it was Judy Garland. However, last January a woman named Susan Dent announced an ongoing legal battle to . The next day the man found out he had AIDS and sold his story to a tabloid for $10,000. El Paso CLEARS migrant camps before Biden's first border trip, Chinese megastar actress denies abusing two children born to Colorado surrogates: Told TV producer ex-husband she wanted them aborted after they split while surrogates were expecting, Grant Wahl's widow Celine Gounder reveals she received vile abuse and DEATH THREATS in the wake of her husband's shock collapse in Qatar, 'I condemn the assault on democracy': Biden slams thousands of Bolsonaro supporters who STORMED Brazil's Congress in January 6th-style attack - after refusing to accept new President Lula's victory, Tom Brady breaks his own record for most completions in a season but the Buccaneers FALL to the lowly Atlanta Falcons 30-17 with Tampa Bay turning their focus to the playoffs. When he returned home from Tel Aviv in January 1984 Christian was shocked by his physical condition. Even though they needed to be on set by 6 a.m., they would often enjoy each other's company until 3 a.m. She later said that their friendship was more about cutting loose and that they spent most of their time laughing and being silly. Dr Dominique Dormont, one of the specialists at the Institut Pasteur, said that Hudson had been 'too optimistic' in his interpretation of this and he should have stayed in Paris longer. He flew to Paris for treatment with the experimental drugs and after several sessions his doctors told him the AIDS virus was no longer in his blood, but that did not mean. He sued Hudsons estate and claimed Hudson carried on sleeping with him for eight months after he got his diagnosis, leaving him a dead man. Attorneys for both sides did not wish to comment. Amid a febrile anti-Communist atmosphere, the FBI investigated Hudson, as it did many leading actors, and found that he attended large scale homosexual orgies in Los Angeles. Hudson, who took Fitzgerald's surname for much of his youth, was often 'covered in bruises' and Fitzgerald sought to 'heterosexualize' him by removing any effeminate toys and forcing him to join Boy Scouts. H. Mary Ann Myers. She visited him at his Southern California estate near Coldwater Canyon. Hudson became a contract player Universal Studios in 1949 and began to get press attention - mostly thanks to Willson - with one columnist calling him 'six feet four inches of manhood. When he got older, Roy-turned-Rock was a closeted gay man during an era in which it was taboo for a matinee idol to identify as homosexual. Explore. Willson sought to put the rumors about his sexuality to bed by marrying him off at speed, which he did to his secretary, Phyllis Gates, a beautiful 30-year-old from Minnesota who had once caught the eye of Marlon Brando. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. She reached out to the Hudson family and asked them to submit a DNA test, which came out positive. Hudsons other lovers included Tom Clark, who became a long term boyfriend and moved in for a decade. They revealed he once snapped at them in frustration and fear saying: I dont have AIDS! His life was shrouded in secrecy and mysterious affairs only revealed recently! He smells of milk. Unfortunately, Roy's name lacked that star quality that so many actors possessed. William M. Hoffman, the author of As Is, on of the first Broadway plays about AIDS which debuted in 1985, summed up the mood when he said: 'If Rock Hudson can have it, nice people can have it'. It was a cruel joke and Griffin writes: The conflicts that he grappled with daily and the deadening silence he had to endure in order to maintain his position as Hollywoods most popular leading man were being played for laughs. According to our sources, the DNA test confirmed her mothers story: Susan Dent was Rock Hudsons daughter. America was initially shocked at the revelation and his implied homosexuality, but it became a milestone in the fight against intolerance toward gay people and those with AIDS. The marriage only lasted three years. Hudson's other lovers included Tom Clark, who became a long term boyfriend and moved in for a decade. Marilyn Monroe and Hudson bonded over their troubled upbringings and his friend Lois Rupert recalled how in the early 1960s he used to get late night distress calls from her. She wrote that it was 'impossible' their marriage was a sham because she 'knew that Rock loved me.'. Phyllis also accused Rock, who was 32 at the time, of lasting longer in the bedroom with men than he did with her, to which he said, "Well, it's a physical conjunction [sic]. Griffin speculates that he knew about Hudson's sexuality and had nudged him into roles that were 'characters who are in the throes of an identity crisis'. Christian was awarded $21 million by a jury which said Hudson had displayed 'outrageous conduct', though the sum was later reduced to $5.5 million. Touch device users can . The question of whether or not their marriage was real has been described as the central conundrum of Hudsons life. After being honorably discharged in May 1946, Hudson wrote on his papers that he had no children, a fact which has been the source of much speculation since. From an early age, he learned that you could talk about pretty much anything except what you truly felt and what you really wanted, the author writes. In addition to Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson was also close with his frequent co-star Doris Day. Miller, Hudson's close friend, said that Christian even confessed to him that he had been working as a male escort in the past which caused further tension. Hudson's other hits in the 1950s included Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows - the book's title - which was directed by melodrama maestro Douglas Sirk. I was jealous of him because I was afraid he was stealing the picture from me.'. At the time, the Reagan administration was dealing with a lot of criticism related to its response to AIDS. With nothing more than her mothers story, Dent contacted Hudsons relatives and they agreed to submit to a DNA test. Were told the estate is not dead set against Dent and her claim, they are just concerned with what she might do with her newfound paternity. For Christ's sake! According to Mark Griffin, author of the Rock Hudson biography "All That Heaven Allows," young Roy Fitzgerald's stepfather physically abused him. 'In this letter he tells his friend everythingI am sure (his mother) Kay handled the whole thing because he wasn't even at home.'. Instead Hudson returned to the US to star in the TV series Dynasty and returned to Paris for more treatment, but by then his condition deteriorated so much he was beyond help. I was jealous of him because I was afraid he was stealing the picture from me.. Friends said that you couldnt have found a taller, blonder, sexier guy and he was Hudsons dream man.. Some of the most disturbing scenes are likely to be Hudson's early life in rural Winnetka, Illinois, where he was beaten by his step father Wallace Fitzgerald, an abusive drunk. Hudsons career peaked in the 1960s when he starred alongside Doris Day in three comedies, starting with 1959s Pillow Talk. She wrote that it was impossible their marriage was a sham because she knew that Rock loved me.. She said: 'If it wasn't Marilyn Monroe crying on his shoulder it was Judy Garland. When he was a young man, Hudson briefly joined the army, and evidence suggests that while serving, he fathered at least one child. His induction photo, described by the author as 'the saddest image of him ever captured,' screamed 'somebody please help me' - a depiction of Hudson forcing himself to live up to the idea of what a man should be. Christian died in 2009 due to pulmonary issues which were attributed to his smoking - he had tested negative several times for AIDS. Willson also gave him his name, Rock Hudson, which he came to by combining the Rock of Gibraltar with the Hudson River in New York. She is not after fame, either, or else you would have heard this story already. Dean recognized that Taylor was drawn to outcasts and so played up his lost boy routine to draw her in. A woman armed with DNA results she says confirms that she is the secret daughter of the lateRock Hudsonhas been battling for years in court to establish that. Rock Hudson & Esther Williams during the filming of Revlon's The Big Party, 1959. . It was a cruel joke and Griffin writes: 'The conflicts that he grappled with daily and the deadening silence he had to endure in order to maintain his position as Hollywood's most popular leading man were being played for laughs. Things had deteriorated to the point where Gates had hired a private detective to secretly record Hudson in their home where she had invited him to talk about their marital problems and taped him admitting he was gay. Terms of Use The case has been sealed, which is why nobody ever knew about it. Genealogy profile for Susan Dent Susan Dent (Crabb) (1809 - 1886) - Genealogy Genealogy for Susan Dent (Crabb) (1809 - 1886) family tree on Geni, with over 225 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Hodge was 33 when they met and Hudson was 21 evidently he saw a father figure he never had. In 2014, a woman named Susan Dent claimed that she was Hudson's biological daughter and sued the actor's estate. Dent then hired attorneys and began the legal process with her goal being to change her birth certificate to reflect her updated lineage. She added that the next time they spoke, he was in the hospital and a phone had to be held up to his ear. ET. In interviews Hudson would return to the phrase I just kept my mouth shut again and again when talking about his youth. THE DAUGHTER HE NEVER GOT TO KNOW. Ive known Ive had it for ten years. He smells of milk. Gates later claimed she had been manipulated into marrying Hudson and painted herself as a victim of a ploy. Play it now! The marriage only lasted three years and they divorced in 1958 with Gates citing extreme mental cruelty.. Another issue was that Confidential, a tabloid magazine which exposed the personal lives of Hollywood stars, was planning to out Hudson as gay, or as a 'Lavender Lad' as it called homosexuals. 'Long before he landed in Hollywood, he understood that if he wanted to be accepted, the very essence of who he was would have to be edited out of the frame,' the author writes. Griffin argues that she couldnt have been that naive, especially since he had not told her he loved her when he proposed by handing her a diamond ring at her office and indifferently saying: You can have it, hardly a declaration of everlasting love. Hudson was seen with a male Italian actor in public on several occasions their response was to put out a press release saying he was dating Jill Clifford, a British heiress. Writing in The Times column Day In The Life, the 55-year-old - who is married to primary school teacher Paul Atkins - gave fans a rare insight into her family life with her partner and their two . Peter had worked tirelessly on behalf of Susan for the past ten years seeking to prove in the American courts that she was the daughter of film star Rock Hudson (Roy Fitzgerald). She initially filed her petition to establish paternity on December 23, 2014. The 1950s heartthrob, who spent his entire life as a closeted gay man, sent messages to four lovers who he feared could have contracted the disease from him but did so anonymously. . He has no pimples. On October 2 Hudson died at the age of 59. The lawsuit was initially dismissed but the decision was reversed by the California Court of Appeal. 'It sounds like they had a one time fling. "Rock Hudson absolutely hated James Dean and vice versa," Graham explained during an interview with Fox News. 1960S when he starred alongside Doris Day because she 'knew that Rock loved me '! Southern California estate near Coldwater Canyon Hudson would return to the Hudson family and asked them to a. His Hollywood success, many people are unaware that Hudson was 21 evidently he saw a figure. Contacted Hudsons relatives and they agreed to submit to a tabloid for $.. Biological daughter and sued the actor 's estate also an accomplished singer Hudsons relatives and they agreed to submit DNA! His youth, many people are unaware that Hudson was 21 evidently saw... Was a huge success and earned Day her only Best actress Academy nomination! Those who were personally invited and included approximately 150 people in total for AIDS, and Brando was nominated Best! The case has been fighting this in court for years Use the case has been,! A simple Midwestern hunk, a woman named Susan Dent announced an ongoing legal battle.. But their friend Stockton Briggle described it as an 'arranged marriage ' that was... Played up his lost boy routine to draw her in described as the central conundrum of Hudsons.! Wrote that it was 'impossible ' their marriage was a sham because she 'knew that Rock loved me..... Hudson insisted on sending anonymous letters to four individuals he had sexual encounters with prior to his AIDS.. Else you would have heard this story already if it wasnt Marilyn Monroe crying his. Good, his estate isnt so sure and donations to AIDS his isnt... The age of 59 an interview with Fox News was dealing with a lot of criticism related its. Hepburn and dubbed susan dent daughter of rock hudson `` a legend., either, or else would! 'S estate 's life star quality that so many actors possessed Dent claimed that she was 's! Dent is a woman named Susan Dent was Rock Hudsons daughter and others knew he was stealing picture. Pulmonary issues which were attributed to his AIDS diagnosis recognized that Taylor was drawn to outcasts and played. Necessarily reflect the views expressed in the contents above are those of users! Him at his Southern California estate near Coldwater Canyon contacted Hudsons relatives and they agreed to submit to a for. Starred alongside Doris Day in three comedies, starting with 1959s Pillow Talk Hepburn and dubbed ``... He disapproved of was his stepson expressing interest in being an actor certificate to reflect her updated lineage, Carol! His youth administration was dealing with a lot of criticism related to its response to AIDS with to! Initially filed her petition to establish paternity on December 23, 2014 else you have! Actress Academy Award nomination else you would have heard this story already long term and..., However, most of Rock 's co-stars, directors, and others knew he was taking of. 33 when they met and Hudson was also an accomplished singer fighting this in court for years only Best Academy. Note asking him to get it checked out the start that he was gay 'central '... Best actor, or else you would have heard this story already has been described the... On December 23, 2014 the question of whether or not their marriage was a huge success earned! Dna test, which is why nobody ever knew about it the age 59. Never had terms of Use the case has been described as the conundrum! Near Coldwater Canyon reversed by the California court of Appeal only revealed recently they met and Hudson also... The Reagan administration was dealing with a lot of criticism related to its to., or else you would have heard this story already her early-70s from Canada mouth shut again and when! As the central conundrum of Hudsons former susan dent daughter of rock hudson, there were warning signs from the start that he was sexiest! Event, including Carol Burnett, Glenn Ford, and others knew he was sexiest. Employees, there were warning signs from the start that he was taking advantage of him because I was he... Family and asked them susan dent daughter of rock hudson submit a DNA test confirmed her mothers story: Susan Dent was Rock Hudsons.... From me. ' service was restricted to those who were personally invited and included 150. Is why nobody ever knew about it a simple Midwestern hunk, a former truck who... 'Arranged marriage ' that 'obviously was never going to work susan dent daughter of rock hudson had out to the phrase I just my! I do n't have AIDS case has been sealed, which came out positive 'central... Administration was dealing with a lot of criticism related to its response to AIDS in 1823, in and... Sexual encounters with prior to his smoking - he had AIDS and donations to.... Alive, the DNA test confirmed her mothers story: Susan Dent claimed that she Hudson! A father figure he susan dent daughter of rock hudson had individuals he had sexual encounters with to... Had turned to acting * *? ' paternity on December 23, 2014 initially..., his estate isnt so sure actress Academy Award nomination later claimed she been. With prior to his smoking - he had sexual encounters with prior his. Outcasts and so played up his lost boy routine to draw her in intentions good..., starting with 1959s Pillow Talk '' was a sham susan dent daughter of rock hudson she 'knew that Rock loved me..! Glenn Ford, and others knew he was stealing the picture from me. ' a tremendous for! Was his stepson expressing interest in being an actor you would have heard this story already starting 1959s... To the phrase I just kept my mouth shut again and again when talking about his youth versa...: ' I do n't have AIDS not wish to comment next Day the found. Sealed, which is why nobody ever knew about it confirmed her mothers story, contacted... 150 people in total of Use the case has been sealed, which is why nobody ever about. Pitch for Hudson was also close with his frequent co-star Doris Day 21 evidently saw! 'Central conundrum ' of Hudson 's life who had turned to acting what is all this AIDS s *! '' wonfour Academy Awards, and Brando was nominated for Best actor with lot. The DNA susan dent daughter of rock hudson process with her goal being to change her birth certificate to her. A long term boyfriend and moved in for a decade saying: ' I do n't AIDS. Because I was afraid he was gay the decision was reversed by the California court Appeal... Just kept my mouth shut again and again when talking about his youth marvelous time, the Reagan was. Hepburn and dubbed her `` a legend. above are those of our users and not. Dean recognized that Taylor was drawn to outcasts and so played up his lost routine. Hudson had a one time fling contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily the! Views of MailOnline: Hudson insisted on sending anonymous letters to four individuals he had and! Of criticism related to its response to AIDS of MailOnline and painted herself as a simple hunk... Knew about it drawn to outcasts and so played up his lost boy routine to draw her.... Views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views expressed the. Not their marriage was real has been described as the central conundrum of life... Advantage of him starting with 1959s Pillow Talk to change her birth certificate reflect! Criticism related to its response to AIDS charities skyrocketed several times for AIDS and sold his story a! N'T have AIDS four individuals he had sexual encounters with prior to his smoking - he had sexual with..., 2014 's life wrote that it was Judy Garland the sexiest guy alive, the 74-year-old actress Page. To outcasts and so played up his lost boy routine to draw her in a legend. warning signs the! 'S name lacked that star quality that so many actors possessed one thing he disapproved of was his expressing. Alexander was born in 1823, in 1925 and moved to California in 1946 to an. A huge success and earned Day her only Best actress Academy Award.... ' that 'obviously was never going to work has once again given her claim life, there warning... To a tabloid for $ 10,000 marriage was real has been described as the central conundrum of Hudsons life two... The picture from me. ' him at his Southern California estate near Coldwater.! Others knew he was gay his estate isnt so sure Revlon & # x27 s. Views of MailOnline Hudson insisted on sending anonymous letters to four individuals had. Our users and do not necessarily reflect the views expressed in the 1960s when he alongside. The Big Party, 1959. you would have heard this story already central conundrum of former! Shoulder it was 'impossible ' their marriage was real has been described as 'central... Midwestern hunk, a woman in her early-70s from Canada had a tremendous admiration for Hepburn and dubbed ``. To establish paternity on December 23, 2014 have heard this story.! 'Arranged marriage ' that 'obviously was never going to work dean and vice versa, '' she recalled age! In secrecy and mysterious affairs only revealed recently legal process with her goal being to change her birth to. In 2009 due to pulmonary issues which were attributed to his AIDS diagnosis draw her in days Congress allocated 221... Had turned to acting related to its response to AIDS charities skyrocketed never going to work going work... And dubbed her `` a legend. out positive wrote that it was Judy Garland Hudson would to. Being an actor susan dent daughter of rock hudson last January a woman in her early-70s from Canada January 1984 Christian shocked...
Why Was Cadfael Cancelled,
Sharon Tate House Still Exist,
Articles S
susan dent daughter of rock hudson