After keeping his relationship with his manager Garry Kief a secret for 39 years, Barry Manilow has now confirmed that he is gay, and spoke about why he made the decision to keep his sexuality private for decades. Chatting to People magazine, he said: "I thought I would be disappointing [fans] if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything."
Barry and Garry wed in 2014
However, he revealed that several of his biggest fans have known that he is gay for years, explaining: "When [fans] found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy. The reaction was so beautiful – strangers commenting, 'Great for you!' I'm just so grateful for it." He also praised his husband, who he met back in 1978 and married in 2014. "[He is] the smartest person I've ever met in my life – and a great guy, too," he said. "I knew that this was it. I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that." The pair tied the knot with only 20 to 30 guests in a ceremony in Palm Springs, with a source telling People at the time that the couple have been: "committed to one another and have been for a very long time. They have a great relationship. Garry has always been there for Barry."
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Barry has always been notoriously private about his personal life, and told the Telegraph back in 2012: "You can only come into my world if I invite you in. From the very beginning that was the rule. I learnt how to deal with publicity/press thing. You just say, 'I'm not interested in talking about that…' I don't want strangers knowing everything. If that happened, that would drive me crazy."