Star Wars star, Billy Dee Williams has gotten candid about embracing gay rumours in the 1970s.
The 86-year-old acting legend opened up about the gay rumours that could have derailed his acting career with Page Six on Sunday as he said: ‘I’ve been called a ‘Closet Queen.
‘But, I don’t pay much attention to any of that.’
Billy Dee said that he was always comfortable hanging out with the members of the LGBTQIA+ community and had even hung out at secret gay parties in the Metropolitan Opera’s basement when he was an extra there.
He explained: ‘It all seemed very normal to me. I was around it all of my life, so I never really gave it much thought.’
Back in 2019, Billy Dee made headlines when he seemingly came out as gender fluid after he revealed in an interview with Esquire that he uses both ‘himself’ and ‘herself’ pronouns.
However, days later the Star Wars actor clarified that his statements were misinterpreted and clarified that he identifies as a straight man in a following interview with The Undefeated.
Williams revealed that until his story went viral, he hadn’t ever heard the term gender fluid and didn’t know what it meant.
‘Well, first of all, I asked last night. I said, “What the hell is gender fluid?” That’s a whole new term,’ the Lando Calrissian actor said.
The story that the octogenarian was gender fluid stemmed from this statement to Esquire: ‘You see I say “himself” and “herself,” because I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine. I’m a very soft person.
I’m not afraid to show that side of myself.’
In truth, Billy told The Undefeated, he was referring to men getting in touch with their ‘softer side’ and confirmed that he identifies as a straight man.
He said: ‘There’s a phrase that was coined by Carl G. Jung, who was a psychiatrist, who was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, and they had a splitting of the ways because they had different ideas about the … what do you call it? Consciousness. Unconscious. It’s collective unconsciousness.
‘But he coined a phrase that’s, ‘Anima animus.’ And anima means that is the female counterpart of the male self, and the animus is the male counterpart of the female.’
Williams further clarified: ‘So, that’s what I was referring to. I was talking about men getting in touch with the female side of themselves. I wasn’t talking about sex, I wasn’t talking about being gay or straight. People should read [Jung]. I mean, it would be an interesting education for a lot of people.’
As for his sexuality, the actor said: ‘No, no, no, I’m not gay — by any stretch of the imagination. Not that I have anything against gay people. But personally? Not gay.’
Meanwhile, earlier this month the veteran actor got real about his infidelity.
The 86-year-old actor – who is releasing a memoir which covers his nearly eight-decade career – talked honestly and openly about being a ladies’ man and the role that cheating has played in his life.
He told People magazine on Wednesday that it all began at an early age as he grew up a hopeless romantic as he said: ‘I’m always falling in love.’
Billy told the publication that though he struggled with school he excelled in both art and romantically, however, he truly hit his stride when he starred opposite Diana Ross in a 1972 biographical drama film.
He said: ‘Lady Sings the Blues [the 1972 Billie Holliday biopic] and Mahogany [1975] really turned my whole world around, as far as being a romantic figure is concerned.
Billy has been married three times including with Audrey Sellers from 1959 to 1963, Marlene Clark from 1968 to 1971, and Teruko Nakagami whom he has been married to since 1972 but separated from in 1993.
Billy also shares 64-year-old son Corey with Audrey Sellers and 51-year-old daughter Hanako with Teruko Nakagami.
The actor was asked by People how he would characterize himself as a husband to which he replied: ‘A philanderer! I’ve been philandering my whole life.’
