George Michael Performs At Earls Court
George Michael went from closeted pop star to gay icon — with
The National ENQUIRER catching him in plenty of sex scandals along the way! The troubled "Freedom" singer passed away
at the age of 53 on Christmas Day 2016 as his wild life of
sex 'n drugs seemingly caught up to the British star. Along the way, George dated female celebs to cover up his gay passions, before getting busted over his compulsive gay sex life. And then The ENQUIRER was there to reveal the star's very private passions for his fellow A-list stars!
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Wham Watch Dune
George first hit the charts with Andrew Ridgeley in the pop act Wham! — where he became a pin-up for young girls listening to hits like "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Last Christmas." Andrew would go on to marry one of the ladies from fellow '80s hit group Bananarama. His closeted partner was set up with innocent stars, including gullible
Brooke Shields!Photo credit: Getty Images
Brooke Shields
The ENQUIRER revealed in 1985 how Brooke dodged an embarrassing Hollywood marriage by turning down George's marriage proposal. The Wham! star had popped the question just three months into their relationship. Brooke later laughed at herself for going along with the relationship — saying that she was won over by how George didn't pressure her for sex. "Nobody had ever been willing to move so slowly," she recalled. "It must be love!"
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Half Of Wham
George was then happy to let gossip columns report on his "affair" with
Madonna. It made for a good story, but George later admitted that there was never an actual relationship. Instead, he explained that Madonna didn't show much interest when they first met.
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Bedtime Stories Publicity Stills From Warners Bros Of Madonna
"Basically," he recalled, "somebody came over to my table and said 'Madonna would really like to meet you'...I proceeded to follow this woman over to Madonna's table where she was talking to
Kevin Bacon at the time — and she just ignored me, which is kind of what you do at school when you fancy someone, isn't it?... I didn't stand there for very long!"
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George wasn't willing to stay celibate, though, and the gay heartthrob was soon outed after the release of his first solo album in late 1987. He tried hiding his true sexual preferences while topping the charts with hits like "Faith" and "Father Figure." Then he was arrested for engaging in a lewd act in front of a male police officer in a Beverly Hills park bathroom on April 7, 1998.
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The ENQUIRER reported on how George was fined $810, put on "informal" probation for two years and ordered to perform 80 hours of community service. The pop star then went gay with a vengeance!
A Different Story – VIP Preview Screening
"It's almost like he's wearing his arrest as some kind of Gay Pride badge," an insider told The ENQUIRER after the scandal — with reporters also revealing that George was suddenly appearing everywhere while holding hands with his once-secret boyfriend Kenny Goss. The two even began sporting matching gold bands on their ring fingers!
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But then The ENQUIRER's own
Mike Walker revealed that George hadn't given up his passion for gay bathroom encounters! Just weeks after George came out of the closet, Mike's spies caught George loitering at a roadside rest area near London that was a notorious gay pickup spot. Eyewitnesses reported that George sat in his car for half an hour waiting for a rendezvous — and took off when he saw two stunned fans approaching for a better look!
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A Media Call For The Film ‘Far And Away’ In Sydney
George also enjoyed flirting with fellow celebrities that he considered to be in the closet! The ENQUIRER caught him going after
Tom Cruise in 1999 — declaring that he'd gladly take Tom to bed, but 'wouldn't say no" to sex with Tom's then-wife
Nicole Kidman! Cruise's publicist at the time quickly assured The ENQUIRER that the star "wouldn't think anything one way or another" about George's lust for the movie star.
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Ricky Martin Performs In Malaga, Spain
The once-closeted star then went after Ricky Martin — who was trying to
hide his own sexuality while topping the charts with "Livin' La Vida Loca." George sang about Ricky's smile on a song called "My Baby Just Cares For Me," and Ricky responded: "I like his smile, as well...I've worshiped him for years." George's fellow pop star still kept dating women, though, with Ricky
staying in the closet until 2010.
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EXCLUSIVE: George Michael 2009 LEAVING Nobu Berkley Square. Also in concert 2011 Earls Court.
And, as The ENQUIRER revealed in a bombshell exclusive, George never let his public sexuality keep him from going after anonymous gay sex! Despite being an international superstar, eyewitnesses in July 2006 reported that George had been seen "wild-eyed and trembling" as he emerged from another gay public pick-up spot in London — after hooking up with a paunchy, middle-age man in the shrubbery!
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2012 Olympic Games – Closing Ceremony
George didn't show much gay pride, either, with sources saying that he flipped out when he realized he was recognized. "I don't believe it," he screamed with a curse. " If you put those pictures in the paper, I'll sue!" — adding:"I'm not doing anything illegal. I'm a free man. I can do whatever I want!"
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Meanwhile, George's partner in the bushes, Norman Kirtland, talked to reporters and confirmed the tryst, adding cryptically: "There's a secret that I have which no one knows about. It's a personal thing. Most people pull away from it, but George actually seemed to respond."
George Michael and boyfriend
George kept denying the story, though — and insisted that his late-night indiscretion didn't mean that he was calling off his plans to hold a gay wedding ceremony with longtime lover Kenny Goss. "We're definitely still getting married," he said. Instead, the couple broke up shortly after a source told The ENQUIRER: "They are reassessing their relationship at the moment."
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George Michael Plays Perth
The ENQUIRER also revealed how George followed up his long relationship with Texas native Kenny — by making secret visits in 2008 to another country boy in in the Raleigh, N.C., area. "George regularly flies in from London or wherever he's staying to be with his man," said an insider — who also revealed that the star often stopped in at "a local spa for massages and eyebrow waxing."
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George Michael Performs First Concert At New Wembley Stadium
And yet George still never gave up his passion for public restrooms — although he dodged another scandal in 2008. Cops once again busted him in a bathroom in London, but he was only charged with possession of crack cocaine and cannabis. George would continue to struggle
with drug addiction, but the doomed pop star kept his sexual addictions private in his final years.
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