BARRY MANILOW secretly married his longtime male lover in a ceremony at the couple’s California home last April, The National ENQUIRER can exclusively reveal.
The “Copacabana” crooner said “I do” to Garry Kief, his manager and the president of Barry Manilow Productions, an insider said.
The intimate ceremony was attended by 50 guests who were led to believe they were invited to lunch at the couple’s multi-million dollar Palm Springs mansion!
“It was a total surprise. When they arrived they were told it was a wedding!” a source close to the 71-year-old told The ENQUIRER.
“Barry has lived a very secretive life and the wedding was no different! Barry and Garry did not tell friends or family that the occasion was their wedding,” the insider explained. “It was a beautiful wedding and consummated their lifelong love affair!”
But the happy duo did not file the paperwork to formalize their union out of fear the big news would leak, sources said.
“Barry is paranoid that his fans would not approve of him being gay, when in reality, many have suspected it for years – and most wouldn’t care,” the source said. “They would be happy for him!”
Longtime friend and Palm Springs neighbor Suzanne Somers was the best man, and Marc Hulett – Barry’s assistant since the 1980s – performed the “commitment ceremony” after he registered online to become a minister.
Gary, 66, who was also married to a woman and has a daughter, reportedly left his wife to be with Barry.
“It’s a beautiful love affair that has lasted more than 30 years,” a source said.
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