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Rannells’ Memoir Details Sexual Assault by Catholic Priest

8/13/2026

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Summary

Story summary

At 22, Rannells’s father fell into a coma and died a few days later while Rannells was on a date.
Rannells came out at 19 before drama school; his mother accepted him and his father later apologized, saying Rannells had always been that way.
His 2019 memoir Too Much Is Not Enough recounts a sexual assault by a Catholic priest, titled “It’s Never the Priest You Want to Kiss.”

History

Historical Context

After the Boston Globe’s 2002 Spotlight investigation exposed abuse by priests such as John Geoghan and led the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to adopt a zero-tolerance charter, the Archdiocese of Boston paid an $85 million settlement. Rannells’s 2019 memoir recounts a similar assault, showing how the scandal’s reforms continue to empower LGBTQ survivors.

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Story summary

At 22, Rannells’s father fell into a coma and died a few days later while Rannells was on a date.
Rannells came out at 19 before drama school; his mother accepted him and his father later apologized, saying Rannells had always been that way.
His 2019 memoir Too Much Is Not Enough recounts a sexual assault by a Catholic priest, titled “It’s Never the Priest You Want to Kiss.”

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