Rock Hudson’s Gay Confession Recorded by His Wife
Rock Hudson was gay. We all know that. But back in the 1950s, movie stars weren’t gay. That didn’t stop Hudson’s wife, Phyllis, from hiring a private eye to record her confronting Hudson about his sexuality and essentially outing him on tape.
The Hollywood Reporter recently obtained the secret files from Hollywood P.I. Fred Ostash, and in those files was a 1958 recording of this exchange between Hudson and Phyllis.
From THR:
On January 21, 1958, Rock Hudson’s wife confronted him, demanding to know if he was gay and grilling the actor about a Rorschach test he had taken. “You told me you saw thousands of butterflies and also snakes,” she said “[A therapist] told me in my analysis that butterflies mean femininity and snakes represent that male penis. I’m not condemning you, but it seems that as long as you recognize your problem, you would want to do something about it.” She also complained about “your great speed with me, sexually. Are you that fast with boys?”
“Well, it’s a physical conjunction [sic],” replied Rock, then 32. “Boys don’t fit. So, this is why it lasts longer.”
Added Phyllis: “Everyone knows that you were picking up boys off the street shortly after we were married and have continued to do so, thinking that being married would cover up for you.”
“I have never picked up any boys on the street,” Rock insisted. “I have never picked up any boys in a bar, never. I have never picked up any boys, other than to give them a ride.”
Oh, what a ride that must have been.