Jerry Lewis — Screen Legend’s Secret Gay Life

Jerry Lewis swung both ways — and his bisexual desires drove crooner Dean Martin to ditch their professional partnership!

Lewis died on Aug. 20, 2017, from heart disease, taking his shocking secret to the grave. But The National ENQUIRER can now report on the findings of two researchers — one of whom claimed the funnyman’s undercover cravings forever changed the course of Lewis’ career.

“According to people we have spoken to, Jerry … had these bisexual tendencies — so that literally drove a wedge between him and Dean,” said William Birnes, who with Richard Lertzman is co-authoring "The Clown That Cried: The Life and Times of Jerry Lewis."

“Dean was a very traditional Italian guy and was always very upset at Jerry’s intimacy,” Birnes added. The duo debuted in 1946 and soared to stardom — but backstage bitterness and jealousy festered. Ten years to the day after the pair’s first show at Atlantic City’s 500 Club, Dean called it quits!

“Jerry had very severe intimacy issues because he wasn’t really raised by his parents," Dr. Birnes said. "He was raised by his grandmother. His issue was he never really had any physical contact with anybody."

“Dean was really the first person — let’s just put it this way — that he was overly and physically intimate with," Birnes continued. " Not sexually, but basically always hugging, touching, jumping into his arms and kissing him on the lips.”