Coming Out
At the height of his popularity, Barrymore suffered increasing alcohol problems. Barrymore claims he wanted to seek help, but that Cheryl continually told him: "No, you're not (alcoholic). Don't be stupid."
In mid-1995, at the height of his fame, Barrymore went to the The White Swan gay pub in London's East End, where he gave an impromptu stage performance to the largely local crowd singing the words: "Start spreading the news - I'm extra gay today". Within 48 hours, every tabloid newspaper had printed its own version of the evening's events, including an untrue claim that the star had thrown away his wedding ring.
After appearing as the headline act on the 1993 Royal Variety Performance, where he sang a version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" with the Queen's Guard gun drill, in November 1995, Barrymore attended the National Television Awards, where, clearly drunk, he made a rambling, incoherent speech. At an after-show party on a live late night radio show, he publicly declared he was gay and "no longer wanted to live a lie", following which he split with Cheryl. She later claimed that Barrymore took the step and did not tell her because of his talks with Diana, Princess of Wales. Barrymore, as of 2010, has said that he is no longer gay after setting up a relationship with a woman. However, he has acknowledged that he may be bisexual.
Read more about this topic: Michael Barrymore, Biography
Famous quotes related to coming out:
“As we passed under the last bridge over the canal, just before reaching the Merrimack, the people coming out of church paused to look at us from above, and apparently, so strong is custom, indulged in some heathenish comparisons; but we were the truest observers of this sunny day.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)