Arts & Entertainment
Richard Pryor’s wife confirms he once slept with Marlon Brando
Quincy Jones claims the actor also had sex with James Baldwin, Marvin Gaye
Richard Pryor (Image courtesy of YouTube)
Richard Pryor and Marlon Brando had sexual relations in the 1970s, the late comedian’s wife has confirmed.
The news was first revealed by Quincy Jones in an eye-opening interview with Vulture.
“[Marlon] Brando used to go cha-cha dancing with us. He could dance his ass off,” Jones told Vulture. “He was the most charming motherfu*ker you ever met. He’d fuck anything. Anything! He’d fu*k a mailbox.”
Jones named James Baldwin, Marvin Gaye and Pryor as Brando’s past lovers.
Now Pryor’s widow Jennifer Lee Pryor is backing up the claim that Brando slept with her husband.
“It was the ’70s! Drugs were still good, especially quaaludes. If you did enough cocaine, you’d f*** a radiator and send it flowers in the morning,” she told TMZ.
According to TMZ, she says the comedian had “no shame” about his bisexuality and spoke about his attraction to men and women to his friends. He also wrote “extensively” about his sexual encounters with other men in his diaries which she plans to publish later this year.
Brando admitted to having sexual relationships with men in his 1976 autobiography. The book “James Dean: Tomorrow Never Comes” also claims the actors were involved in a BDSM relationship
Jones’ Vulture interview has been causing a stir for his comments which also included an alleged past romantic relationship with Ivanka Trump, claiming Michael Jackson stole songs and describing the Beatles as “the worst musicians in the world.”
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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