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Neil Patrick Harris Says Publicist Pressured 2006 Coming Out

8/14/2026

31 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

On 12 August 2026, Neil Patrick Harris said a publicist pushed him to preempt gossip by coming out as gay in 2006.
He feared bloggers like Perez Hilton would out him and attended premieres separately with David Burtka to avoid appearing as a couple.
He said People magazine’s statement drew indifference, that he was offended few were surprised, and that he had feared anti-gay signs that never appeared.

History

Historical Context

In April 1997 Ellen DeGeneres announced she was gay on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on Time’s cover, then aired the landmark “Puppy Episode” on ABC (April 30) where her character Ellen Morgan came out. The broadcast attracted about 42 million viewers, won an Emmy and a Peabody, and GLAAD credits it with opening prime-time slots for later series such as Will & Grace.

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Story summary

On 12 August 2026, Neil Patrick Harris said a publicist pushed him to preempt gossip by coming out as gay in 2006.
He feared bloggers like Perez Hilton would out him and attended premieres separately with David Burtka to avoid appearing as a couple.
He said People magazine’s statement drew indifference, that he was offended few were surprised, and that he had feared anti-gay signs that never appeared.

1 / 2