Numerous people claim to have knowledge of who is the celebrity mystery gay rumored to come out on the May 5 cover of People. We break down the odds on these guesses after the jump.
JOHNNY WEIR
Odds: 1/4
Reasons: Because Michael Musto said so. Also, Howard Bragman — the PR flack that’s managing this coming out party — has handled similar gay announcements of a number of other athletes (NFL defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo, LPGA star Rosie Jones, WNBA star Sheryl Swoops and retired NBA center John Amaechi).
Doubts: Although he hasn’t officially spoken about his sexuality — other than to say “….it’s not part of my sport and it’s private. I can sleep with whomever I choose and it doesn’t affect what I’m doing on the ice” — it doesn’t seem like that big of a secret.
KELLY CLARKSON
Odds: 1/1, even money
Reasons: She’s one of Queerty’s guesses, and another of Michael Musto’s, who’s heard that the celebrity in question is a female singer. Another source accidentally used the pronoun “she” when speaking on the matter to BlindGossip.
Doubts: Something about this is fishy. I’m thinking that these people randomly threw her name out there because she doesn’t fit into the cookie-cutter body model of a female pop singer, and also doesn’t seem to give a shit about it. A lesbian that does not make.
VENUS WILLIAMS
Odds: 9/1
Reasons: A tipster wrote in to us saying, “She has a book coming out. And she was with her girlfriend at an event a couple weeks ago.” Also, she’s an athlete — again, this seems to be Bragman’s specialty.
Doubts: Doesn’t she have a long-term, pro-golfer boyfriend? Right sport, wrong gender.
ZACHARY QUINTO
Odds: 2/3
Reasons: Eyebrows.
Doubts: He seems too consistently employed for such a PR stunt. Also, he seems like the type who would think that People is too queer.
OPRAH
Odds: 49/1
Reasons: A tipster writes us, “I have fairly credible information that the celeb outing is Oprah.” Also: Gayle.
Doubts: Who is this tipster? Kitty Kelley. Please, as if Oprah would make such a big announcement on any magazine cover other than her own. She has way too many platforms — that she owns — to say whatever she needs to say. But perhaps that guy standing behind her…
QUEEN LATIFAH
Odds: 1/10
Reasons: She seems to be everyone’s top guess, including our own. Plus, as mentioned from the clues given above, she’s a woman and in the music industry. She also has a film — Just Wright — coming out on May 14. Yes, it’s a straight rom-com, but maybe she wants to make a big statement about how gay entertainers can actually, act and portray a different sexuality, you know, like straight people do all the time (and win Academy Awards for).
Doubts: She’s kept mum on her love life for this long, so why would she start talking now?
A FEMALE COUNTRY-MUSIC STAR
Odds: Um.
Reasons: Although we don’t have very much knowledge about the country music scene—to even pick a name or photo for this guess—we received the following email from a tipster: “A friend of mine who is high up at People told me that the ‘May 5’ celeb is a ‘female country singer’ and he didn’t even know her name and had to look it up, but he didn’t tell me who it is.”
Doubts: We think this person might be referring to Jennifer Knapp, whose sexuality is totally old news.
More on the Cinco de Mayo Surprise [BlindGossip]
Another Star is Coming Out On May 5! [VV]
Howard Bragman Is Booking May 5’s Big Gay Celebrity Coming Out – Anonymously [Queerty]