On-screen, Rock Hudson played the Hollywood macho heartthrob, but off-screen, he was a gay man. The actor had mastered the art of living a secret life and did so for decades until July 15, 1985.
That day, Hudson ran late for a press conference, and when he arrived, the media were shocked by his ravaged look due to his dramatic weight loss. A week later, he collapsed in a hotel lobby in Paris.
Whispers about him contracting acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) –commonly linked to homosexual men and intravenous drug users – immediately started. On July 25, a spokeswoman for Hudson confirmed his illness.
Randy Shilts, an American journalist and author wrote in his 1987 book chronicling the crisis, “For decades, Hudson had been among the handful of screen actors who personified wholesome American masculinity; now, in one stroke, he was revealed as both gay and suffering from the affliction of pariahs.”
The ‘80s was an era of ‘sanctioned homophobia’ marked by the emergence of HIV and AIDS, referred to as the ‘gay plague.’ Homosexuality was not just a sin. It was a punishment.
Behind the Mask
RELATED: Al Reynolds On Accepting Himself As A Bisexual Man
Born Leroy Halrod Scherer Jr. on November 17, 1925, Rock Hudson possessed the looks of a leading man – from the face down to the body. That was why it was no surprise that he landed several big roles and became a staple in various dramas and romantic comedies. His most famous works were Magnificent Obsession, Giant, Pillow Talk, and McMillan and Wife.
However, behind his successful macho image was a persona only a few were honored to meet and know. One of those was retired stockbroker Lee Garlington. In 2015, Garlington gave a rare interview and a glimpse of Hudson’s untold story.
It was 1962. At the time, Garlington was a film extra, while Hudson was already one of the biggest movie stars. He heard rumors that the movie icon was gay, and so he wanted to get an eye on him.
He stood out on the Universal lot just outside Hudson’s cottage and pretended to read Variety. He didn’t acknowledge him except that he did look back once.
Then, a year later, Garlington was just fresh out of a breakup when one of Hudson’s friends asked if he would like to meet the actor. He said yes.
RELATED: Dove Cameron Gets Candid About Her Bisexuality: Speaking Her Truth
Their first actual meeting was at Hudson’s mansion over on Beverly Crest Drive. Garlington shared how nervous he was at the time because the man was 6-foot-4. They had a beer, and Hudson invited him to get together.
It was the start of a secret love affair. Hudson never really asked Garlington because he assumed he would, and he did.
Garlington would come over after work, spend the night, and then sneak out at 6 in the morning in his Chevy Nova. He would coast down the street so that neighbors wouldn’t hear him. The two also attended movie premieres, but each had their respective female dates.
According to Garlington, “Nobody in their right mind came out. It was career suicide. We all pretended to be straight.” They once thought that Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward, figured them out.
But they began getting cautious after a fan broke into Hudson’s house once while on a road trip. Some things could’ve been found out, and it shook the actor up. He had gates put up after that.
When asked how Hudson was, Garlington shared that he had no pretense and was always casual. His fond memories of him were hanging out in the house with the actor wearing chinos and moccasins around and going on road trips to county fairs.
Sadly, the two broke up in 1965.
Dying with the Truth
RELATED: Tyler Posey Reveals His Sexuality with the Support of His Girlfriend, Phem
Rock Hudson was first diagnosed with AIDS in 1984 while working on the TV show Dynasty. He confirmed it in 1985 and sought treatment at a hospital in Paris. The first cases were reported back in 1981, and it grew into an epidemic.
When Garlington heard the news, he was shocked. AIDS killed everybody back in the day. He tried to connect with Hudson, so he called up the people taking care of him at the time. However, they told him that the actor was too sick to know who he was and it was best to remember him how he used to be before.
Hudson succumbed to the disease on October 2, 1985.
According to CNN, the doctors involved in AIDS research called the movie royalty’s announcement the most important event in the epidemic’s history. Shilts noted that Hudson’s revelation had brought awareness not only to those afflicted with the disease but also researchers who needed funding. In fact, the US press coverage of AIDS tripled after the news broke.
Rock Hudson lived most of his gay life in secret because of his position and the harsh judgment brought upon people like him who didn’t identify with the binary. In his last days, his simple yet brave act of acknowledging that he had AIDS helped bring awareness and change the public’s perception of the disease.
