a&e features

Kelly Osbourne discusses life and passions in new memoir

Reality vet is all grown up in ‘There is No F*cking Secret’

Published

9 years ago

April 19, 2017

Kelly Osbourne, gay news, Washington Blade

Kelly Osbourne says growing up in one-of-a-kind circumstances with hard-working parents gave her a distinct outlook on life. (Photo by Darren Tieste)

Kelly Osbourne

In Conversation with Kelly Cutrone

Wednesday, April 26

7:30 p.m.

Sixth & I Historic Synagogue

600 I St., N.W.

$17-42

The daughter of business mogul and talk show host Sharon Osbourne and heavy metal music legend Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne was not only born into a family of success but into the spotlight. Osbourne appeared with the rest of her family on MTV’s “The Osbournes,” from 2002-2005, arguably kicking off the modern reality show genre that is popular today.

Known as the mouthy teenage girl on the show, Osbourne is now a 32-year-old who has evolved into former “The View” talk show host and has appeared on “Fashion Police” alongside Joan Rivers. Osbourne prides herself on being an LGBT ally and has contributed to numerous LGBT organizations including the Trevor Project. She has now written a book, “There is No F*cking Secret,” a series of letters that focus on personal topics such as her mother’s cancer diagnosis, her father’s battle with addiction and her own struggle with body image.

Osbourne spoke with the Washington Blade on everything from growing up with Joan Rivers to being the child of famous parents and more.

WASHINGTON BLADE: What made you decide now was the time to write a book about your life?

KELLY OSBOURNE: I’ve wasted so much time of my life. Whenever anyone asks me, “What do you regret most?,” I always said, “I regret nothing.” Until I started writing this book and I realized there was one thing I truly fucking regret. And it’s that I wasted so much time in my life trying to be anyone but who I really am. It’s such a miserable fucking journey. It’s so deflating and you get lost. I let the media and public perception tell me who I really was and I fed into it. That is my responsibility and my fault because I did do that. But I was so young, I didn’t know any better. It’s my chance now to be like, “Fuck that, cut the crap, this is who I am. I am telling you who I am.” And hopefully by me telling you who I am and sharing my stories with you, you will know even though I’m famous, I was born famous. I didn’t really get a choice in the matter. I have problems too and any of the problems I’ve had I’ll share with you that way you won’t feel alone. And that way you’ll know someone else out there has been through it too. And I hope that people get something out of the mistakes I’ve made. And the fact that love in our family is what kept us together and kept us going. People stop caring about other people and people stop remembering that love is what’s most important.

BLADE: Did you write the book in the format of letters because you wanted it to be more personal?

OSBOURNE: No. We live in a world of millennials now. People like instant gratification. They’ll read a headline and a few sentences and you’re an instant genius. When it comes to reading a book I even realized, I don’t want to read it from start to finish. I like to pick it up, put it down and you can start from all different places. Like a book of short stories. I like books like that because you don’t have to commit to finishing it all at the same time. You can look at the chapters and see if there’s anything that relates to you and go to that chapter. I’m praying my parents don’t read the vagina one.

BLADE: Was there anything else you were worried about your family reading?

OSBOURNE: Yes. Every member of my family has written a book. What I realized is we can all be in the same room and see the same thing, but we all have a different perception of what happened. We see it differently because we’re different people. I made sure that I sent the book to everybody in my family with a note saying, “Guys this is the book. Anything you want taken out let me know, no questions asked.” Because they are my family, I do talk about them so I had to give them that respect. Especially with my brother (Jack Osbourne) who has two children. I would never want to say anything that could affect them because you never know what the media is going to pick up on.

I’m noticing right now from the press they’re really focusing on the drug aspect of everything. I haven’t done drugs, weed excluded because I don’t consider that a drug, since I was 24 years old. I’m 33 this year. I got so much more shit being fat than I ever did being a druggie. And I think because I pointed it out so much now they’re focusing back on the fact that I was a druggie. But now I’m looking at what’s going on in the media right now and I’m seeing how many deaths from opioid abuse, and so it is a prevalent topic, but I don’t want that message to get lost. Because it’s not just what the book is about. It’s about my experience looking after my mom when she had cancer, my Lyme’s disease, relationships, body image, fitting in, having no inner filter, discovering who you are.

BLADE: Did you find the writing process difficult?

OSBOURNE: This is the second time, but (the first time) I honestly feel like sabotaged it halfway through. When I first started writing (the first book) I was in a really good place, but by the end of it I wasn’t and everything I was advising in the book I wasn’t even listening to. I wasn’t doing it myself so I felt like I was a hypocrite. This book is not just redemption on that book, me finally not only writing this but I’m doing what I’m writing. Everybody feels like they have to be perfect and they have to look a certain way. It’s not even about being famous anymore, which is called being an “influencer.” The pressure that young people are under just over the simplest things. The selfie that goes on Instagram, that isn’t a part of my level of understanding. I have such a love/hate relationship with social media but it makes me really happy that it wasn’t around when I was younger because I would have probably been arrested. And that I didn’t have to deal with that added pressure as well. It’s unbelievable.

BLADE: Being the child of famous parents, what’s the biggest misconception people have?

OSBOURNE: My parents were very smart with how they raised me. Back in the days before cell phones, we had beepers. I wanted one and my mom said, “You want one, you go get a job and you pay for it yourself.” So I’ve had a job and been self-sufficient outside of my parents. I’ve had a job since I was 13. I’ve been self sufficient outside of my parents since I was 15. My parents taught us, “You want something, you work for it.” When you’re a celebrity’s kid you have to prove yourself 10 times over. Because you have to prove it’s not just handed to you and you have to gain the respect to prove that you are hardworking and don’t think you’re better than everyone else. But then you do have to be better. It’s a very weird contradiction. People think, “Oh you’re someone’s kid you don’t do anything.” I’m like, “I’ve been working since I was 15. I don’t know how I’m going to pay my mortgage this month.” People think they get to do all of these fabulous things and yes, we do, but anywhere there is fabulousness, it attracts shit. And there’s a lot more shit in this industry than there is fabulousness.

BLADE: Your mother is a co-host on “The Talk.” Do you ever hear her say anything on the show and think “Mom, I didn’t need to know that”?

OSBOURNE: Oh my god. If I ever have to hear about my mom and dad’s sex life I’m like, “Mom!” I guess everybody gets that in their own home, I just get it on national TV. But it’s my mom. She’s earned the right to say whatever the fuck she wants. She has worked her ass off. There are very few women in this industry who can get to that level. Joan Rivers is one of them and so is my mom. They paid their dues. My mom would never say anything to hurt me. Even though sometimes I want to crawl into a hole and die that she told people things about me on national TV. That’s just what it is. I probably would have told everyone anyway. She birthed me so she has the right. And of course, I was the only kid out of my siblings that my mom didn’t have an epidural for. I’m the, “Do you know the pain and suffering?” That’s what I get.

BLADE: You’ve also been a big supporter of the LGBT community. Why has that type of advocacy been important to you?

OSBOURNE: The LGBT community is a community that never gave up on me and that has supported me through thick and thin. (The community) taught me to believe in myself and taught me how to do my makeup and to love yourself no matter what anyone else thinks. Be who makes you happy. Stand against the odds and dare to be different and unique. Everybody has a unique individual inside of them. It’s whether they’re brave enough or not to show it to the world. They can find it within themselves to be brave and show the world who they really are which is a scary thing to do. It’s easier said than done. And within the gay community there is so much creativity and love and acceptance because they’ve been the outcasts of society or at home their whole life. They know what that feels like. I was the outcast too growing up with a satanic, as they said, father in this country village.

Everybody thought that we were satanists. I didn’t really fit in with everybody because we were different. My mom was dressed differently to pick us up from school so the parents didn’t judge us. I’ve been locked in bathrooms at school with the lights off and made to pray for my sins because my father is a satanist. And I’m like, ‘What is this?” It’s not like my parents were the equivalent of the Beckhams. My mom is known as the most badass business woman to ever be in the music industry, in fact the world. And my father is the creator of heavy metal music. It’s a lot to live up to being their kids. They’re icons in their own right. They came from a time where things weren’t instantaneous and you had to work hard. I get that from my mom. If I don’t wake up and start working, my day is shit.

BLADE: You seem like an open person and the title of your book is “There is No F*cking Secret.” But is there anything people might not know about you?

OSBOURNE: I am so empathic and loyal to my own detriment. When I feel like somebody is sad I can feel it when they hug me. I want to do everything I can to make them not feel sad. Because feeling sad, lonely and not good enough are the worst feelings in the world. I know what that feels like to feel like that every day. And I wish I could take that from people. I’m surprisingly really shy at times when someone puts a camera in front of me. I did a quick photo shoot for someone recently and I like shut down. My body language, my shoulders went in. I will never be used to being in front of a camera and my face shows it because I always look like I’m holding in a fart. When I see the red carpets in the magazines I see the girls doing the poses over the shoulder and I’m like I would look like I have jaundice if I tried that. It just isn’t in me.

BLADE: Being on “Fashion Police” with Joan Rivers, what was the best advice she gave you?

OSBOURNE: It’s in the book. You’ve got to find the humor in absolutely everything because laughter is not only the best medicine, but it’s the best survival skill too. Outside of my family and “Dancing with the Stars,” Joan was one of the only people who truly just believed in me for me. Nothing to do with my past or my present or my future. Nothing to do with my family. She just wanted to work with me. And being bestowed with that honor with somebody … I knew Joan for 25 years. I was 6 years old the first time she interviewed me. It’s the most embarrassing interview ever. I’m scratching my vagina, yawned and stuck my tongue out on the entire Father’s Day (on “The Joan Rivers Show”) special. I’m like, “Oh God.” But to have that honor to be an apprentice to Joan Rivers for as many years. We worked 52 weeks a year for over five-and-a-half years together. We did everything together. It’s still and I think it always will be a huge loss in my life that threw me in a way I didn’t think possible. Three and a half years ago I promised Joan the very first copy of my book that I got. I got it so I called Melissa (Rivers) I was like, “I got the first copy and I promised it to her.” So I’d written a little message to Joan and given it to Melissa.

BLADE: You and Melissa still keep in contact?

OSBOURNE: Fifty-two weeks a year, every year, five and a half years? She’s family. We’re family. All the crew, I miss them so much. Whenever I go into a meeting at Universal, I pop in and go in and say hi. We’re all still really close.

BLADE: You’re coming to D.C. to promote your book.

OSBOURNE: I’m so excited because I’m going to Joan’s favorite place, the Sixth & I Synagogue.

BLADE: What’s your favorite thing about D.C.?

OSBOURNE: I spent at least two to three days a year in D.C. my whole life because of being on tour with my father. You know the Jolly Green Giant on television where’s he’s like walking through fields of grass? You’re on the tour bus and all of sudden there are the monuments and so much green and the White House. You’re walking through history which is rare for me in America to feel that way because everything is so new. The house I grew up in is over a 100-and-something years old. I can’t tell you one building near me in L.A. that’s over a 100 years old. So to walk through and see this is where all the stuff I learned in school happened, I love the history of it. But it’s also very interesting that you go one mile in the other direction and it’s a completely different world. People are left and forgotten. I was a little bit shocked about that.

BLADE: They don’t show you that on TV.

OSBOURNE: At all, you don’t even know that’s there. They always say that charity starts at home, why don’t they clean up Washington and look after the people who live there and then you’ll be in a more powerful situation? It’s very confusing. But I don’t know why but I always pretend like I’m Jackie O when I’m there. Totally going to do a bouffant with my hair at my book signing for a Jackie O look. That would be so sick.

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a&e features

Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people

Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths

Published

6 days ago

March 26, 2026

Staff reports

The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.

This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.

This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.

Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis

Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers

ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES

Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives
Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream
Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent
Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent
Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC
Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency
Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision
Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry
Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
— Journalist and Former Editor at New York Times Magazine
Queen Adesuyi (they/she)
— Policy Advisor & Organizer, ReFrame Health & Justice
Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives)
Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader
Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra
Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer
Vida Rangel (she/her)
— Founder, Our Trans Capital
Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space
Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Co-Founder & President, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center)
Diana Rodriquez (she/her)
— Co-Founder & CEO, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center)
Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women
Toya Matthews (she/her)
— City of San Antonio, Texas
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader
Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader
Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation
Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle
Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle

LEGEND AWARDEES

Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP
leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography
Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University
Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation
AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Deputy Executive Director, ACLU
RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart
Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Founder of NBJC, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign
Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group
Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame
Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction)
Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Board Chair
Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade
Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer
Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures
Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association
Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Collective
Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted
Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies
Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter
Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington
Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit
Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio
Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT
J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network

a&e features

D.C. springs back to life with new, returning events

Cherry blossoms, Rehoboth season kickoff, and more on tap

Published

3 weeks ago

March 12, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

D.C.’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off later this month. (Blade file photo by Marvin Bowser)

Longer and warmer days are back meaning: It’s time to get out of the house and enjoy Washington D.C.’s many events. Below are a few to check out this spring.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts will host “Making their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection” until Sunday, July 26. This exhibition illustrates women artists’ vital role in abstraction, considers historical contributions, formal and material breakthroughs and intergenerational relationships among women artists over the last eight decades. For more details, visit. NMWA’s website.

Art in the Attic will host a pop-up on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at 1012 Madison St., Alexandria, Va. There will be a variety of vendors selling products across different modes of art. For more details, visit Eventbrite.

Play Play will host “Indoor Recess – The art of play” on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. This event will embody classic recess energy, including opportunities to build and experience community and connections through games, movement, art stations, and creative freedom. Tickets are $12.51 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Spark Social will host “Gay Bar Crawl on U Street” on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. This will be a fun night out in gay D.C. with other gay people, whether you’re visiting D.C., new to the area, or just looking to expand your social circle. Many crawlers have formed lasting friendships and even romantic relationships after just one night out. Tickets are $35.88 and are available on Eventbrite.

Creative Suitland Arts Center will host “EFFERVESCENT: House of Swann” on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. This will be a gay, good time where we will celebrate love, joy, wellness, and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community. Tickets start at $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

SWAG Works DC will host “Unapologetically Her” on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. at 701 E St., S.E. This event is a powerful celebration of womanhood, resilience, creativity, and self-expression in honor of Women’s History Month. This all-women exhibition highlights the diverse voices, stories, and artistic perspectives of women who create boldly, live authentically, and stand confidently in their truth. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

9:30 Club will host “Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA” on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. There will also be a “Donna Summer Power Hour – The Queen of Disco” segment during this event. It’ll be one hour of music with no skips. Tickets are available on 9:30 Club’s website.

Harder Better Faster Stronger will host “Heated Rivalry Rave” on Friday, March 20 at 9 p.m. at Howard Theatre. This event is open to all ages. Tickets are available on the theater’s website.

CAMP Rehoboth hosts its 25th annual Women’s+ FEST, April 9-12 in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Entertainers include headliner Mina Hartong, a comedian, storyteller, and founder of Lez Out Loud; and singer Yoli Mayor. There are dances, dinners, pickleball, and much more. Details and tickets at camprehoboth.org.

Also in Rehoboth Beach, the Washington Blade’s 19th annual Summer Kickoff Party is set for Friday, May 15 featuring Ashley Biden, who will accept an award on behalf of her brother Beau. State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall will also speak. More speakers and the venue to be announced soon.

The annual D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off March 21 at DAR Constitution Hall and culminates with Petalpalooza on April 4, the day-long, outdoor street party with music and art, stretching across Navy Yard, and ending with fireworks over the Anacostia River.

a&e features

‘Queer Eye’ star Dorriene Diggs on life before and after appearing on hit show

Emotional January episode highlighted 40-year love affair with partner

Published

3 weeks ago

March 12, 2026

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

D.C. residents Dorriene Diggs and sister Jo starred in an emotional episode of ‘Queer Eye’ earlier this year. (Screen capture via IMDB)

Dorriene Diggs, 70, whose 40-year relationship with her domestic partner, Diane until Diane’s passing in 2020, the couple’s tense relationship with their respective parents, and Dorriene’s current living arrangement with her straight sister Jo, were the focus of a final season episode of the popular TV series “Queer Eye.”

In a recent interview with the Washington Blade, Diggs told of how her appearance on the show has impacted her life. She elaborated on the many aspects of her life experiences that she told to the five “Queer Eye” co-hosts who interviewed her and her sister in their D.C. home.

Although her parents and her partner’s parents, who have since passed away, were not accepting of their relationship, Diggs has said most of her family members at this time reacted positively to her appearance on the show.

“They loved it,” she told the Blade. “Yes, everybody that saw the show called me and said they loved the show, they really enjoyed themselves watching it.”

Through an arrangement with D.C.’s Rainbow History Project, the “Queer Eye” show featuring Diggs and her sister was presented in a special screening on a large video screen at the D.C. History Center in January.

“Dorriene, a 70-year-old Black lesbian living in Washington, D.C., had spent decades building a life with her partner while navigating silence within her own family,” a “Queer Eye” statement announcing the episode on Diggs states.

“The Fab Five did not arrive to introduce Dorriene to herself, but to help ensure her story was finally heard in full,” the statement says.

Blade: Can you tell us how your appearance on the “Queer Eye” program came about? How did they find out about you?

Diggs: You know, I still don’t have all the details. I think it was my niece, Missy. And she knows somebody there from “Queer Eye.”

Blade: So, did you first learn about it when someone from “Queer Eye” contacted you?

Diggs: No, the “Queer Eye” guy knocked on my bedroom door and started talking. I was in my bedroom watching television and the next thing I know my door opened up and there was Karamo [Karamo Brown, one of the “Queer Eye” co-hosts] with his big black cowboy hat on, opening the door grinning. … They contacted Jo first. And when they came here, they realized there was a gay woman in the house, too. Because my name was not mentioned at first. After they came here, they learned about me, because when Missy reached out to them, she reached out to them about Jo. But that doesn’t bother me. This was all about Jo in the beginning, and not me. … They started talking to me and Jo. And he said, Dorriene, ‘you’ve done so much for so many people, it’s time for someone to do something for you.’ That’s what they said. He said, ‘this is the day we’re doing it for you.’

And so, they put me and my sister up in a hotel for a week. They gave us a personal driver to take us anywhere we wanted to go. And then they took us to a bunch of places. We didn’t know why they were doing all of this. We had no idea that they were renovating the house and renovating our bedrooms. We had no idea.

Blade: What was your reaction when you saw the home renovation?

Diggs: It was amazing. And they bought us all new complete wardrobes – clothes, shoes. But most of the stuff they got me I gave away to a women’s shelter. But it was so nice. Actually, to meet the guys. I’ve been watching the show for 10 years. I have watched it from the beginning. And actually, it brought me and my sister closer – really. We’re closer now than we’ve ever been. She’s my baby sister – not the baby, but next to the baby. She’s the younger one.

Blade: What has been the reaction to your appearance on the show? Do more people now recognize you?

Diggs: Yes, yes. I’m getting phone calls and it’s almost like I’m a celebrity. And I don’t want people to make a fuss over me. All the things I did I did from the heart. I really did. And I don’t want people to think I’m more than I am. I’m just a good Christian woman that believes in giving back.

And I do. God gives me help giving. That’s what I do. And I don’t want anything in return from anyone. You know, because I know what it means to not to have. I know what it means to go to bed hungry, with no food. Going to school with holes in your shoes. I know that. I know that feeling. I’ve been there. And I promised myself as a kid I would never live like this again. And when I got bold enough to leave home, I left home at 14, and I moved in with a drag queen. Damen was his name.

Blade: Did your appearance on the show change your life and your relationship with your sister?

Diggs: Yeah, yeah, it actually did. We are actually closer now than we’ve ever been. Because, like I said, I moved away from home early and I never went back. My parents had a problem with my lifestyle. They really did. My mom looked at me with such hatred. When I was old enough to say goodbye, I never looked back. And to come back around now in the last few years after Diane died, that’s when I came back here.

And at one point I stayed with my nephew Todd and his wife – but he got killed in a car accident. I couldn’t stay at his house anymore. So, then I called Jo and told her I need to get out of here. And without hesitating she came and picked me up and brought me to her home. And I’ve been here ever since.

Blade: Can you tell a little about when it came about and how you met your partner?

Diggs: We lived on 18^th Avenue in condos. I just bought one. Hers was above mine. I bought the bottom one. When my brother came over, she was getting out of her car. She was driving a Vega. And I turned to my brother and I said – this is the God’s honest truth – I said Keith, that’s the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. Just like that. And he started laughing. He said, girl you’re crazy. I said I know I’m crazy, Keith, but I’m telling you that woman right there is who I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.

Blade: And when was that?

Diggs: It was 1980 actually. And then I started going to the laundry room to do my laundry. So I started talking to her. She said, ‘I’m not speaking to you.’ Isaid ‘why not?’ She said ‘because you’re nothing but a female gigolo.’ And I said I’m not dating anymore. I’m waiting for you. ‘No, you’re too fast for me.’ I said, ‘well, I’m not giving up.’

And I didn’t give up. So, I was playing an album one day and she knocked on the door and asked what I was playing, I think. I said you liked that. She said yeah. I said OK, I’ll bring it upstairs and we can listen to it together. So, when I went up there to her apartment that day and whenever I went up there, I never left.

Blade: So, your partner’s name was Diane?

Diggs: Yes, Ruth Diane Robinson. But she hated the name Ruth. So, the only people who called her Ruth were at work, the people she worked with. Everybody else called her Diane.

Blade: And how many years were you together?

Diggs: Forty. Forty years together

Blade: And where were you living with her most of the time?

Diggs: We lived in Hagerstown the longest, Hagerstown, Md. And so, if Diane hadn’t died I probably still would have been in our house in Hagerstown.

Blade: Can you tell me a little about what you were doing career wise during those years?

Diggs: I do computers. I used to do computers. And before that I cooked. I love to cook like my mom. And then I wanted to do something else. So, I taught myself computers. I taught myself how to build computers and stuff. So, then I got my own computer business called Ida One Computer Consulting. And so, we helped build computers for people.

Blade: Around when was this, in the 1980a or 1990s?

Diggs: Yes, in the 1980s. I think I stopped I would say around ’96, when I stopped. Because we both said we were going to retire at 55. And we did. We both retired at 55. And then she started diabetes. Every day I had to give her an injection because she was afraid of needles. She couldn’t give it to herself. So, I had to give her an injection every day One time, I don’t remember when, she had a mild stroke. And I had to take care of her. I’ve always taken care of her. And I don’t regret it. I never regretted it. It’s taking care of the one you love.

Blade: When was it that she passed away?

Diggs: In 2020. I found her on the kitchen floor.

Blade: How did your family and your extended family react to your relationship with Diane?

Diggs: Well, her family, oh my God, they hated me – her mother the worst. Because I put a stop to them treating her really bad. I told her mother – I said never in my life – my mother raised me well. Never disrespect someone’s mother. I said but this time I’m going to disrespect you because you are going to start treating Diane like you ought to. This is a wonderful woman and you and your son and you it’s always about your son. You never, ever say anything good about your daughter.

I said it isn’t going to happen again. You’re never going to disrespect her again. I said you take a damn good look at her because you’ll never see her again. I meant that. I grabbed Diane. I said it’s time to go. They don’t care about you.

Blade: Can you tell a little about your family?

Diggs: Yeah, I’m a triplet sister. So, it’s Dorriene, Chorine, and Chrissy — we are the triplets. So, my mom had a set of twins and a set of triplets within nine months. One of the twins died at birth. So, the other twin is Margaret.

Blade: So then how did your family react to you and Jo being on “Queer Eye”?

Diggs: Most of my family really had no problem with it.

Blade: Were you out to them?

Diggs: Oh yeah. I was never in the closet. I didn’t give a damn what people felt about me, sweetheart. I really didn’t. I didn’t care. Because I was going to be me. And for people who didn’t like it, I wasn’t living for them, I was living for me. I’ve always been out. I had a brother who was also gay, Marvin. God rest his soul, too. But he stayed in the closet. He was in the closet until he was about 55 years old.

But everything I said on the show was the truth – my account. The things that I went through with family … You can’t tell me how I felt. If they try to make mom and dad out as perfect, they weren’t perfect. They were the worst parents. That’s my account of it.

So yes, everything I said on that interview was the truth. That’s one thing people who know me know – I do not lie.

Blade: What are some of the things you like to do these days?

Diggs: I’m a sports lover. I love sports. So, my baseball season is getting ready to get started. Baseball is my favorite sport. Yes, I love baseball. I like the statistics of it. And watching the guys. I wish they had a women’s professional baseball team, honestly. … I’m a D.C. sports fan. The Wizards, the Nationals, the Mystics, the Caps. … And see, I’m a diehard Redskins fan and I refuse to call them the Commanders. They’re the Redskins. They will always be the Redskins to me. I love my sports teams.

Blade: Can you tell a little about the history of the house where you and Jo now live and where they did the filming of the “Queer Eye” show?

Diggs: Jo had a house on 17^th Street, I think it was Northeast because it was over there by H Street, N.E. And I think somebody wanted to buy her house. I don’t know why she moved. So, she found this house. Because she wanted to buy something where she could buy a house straight out. She didn’t want a mortgage on another house.

Blade: What are your thoughts on being on the last season of “Queer Eye?”

Diggs: Yeah, we were the last ones. We took it out with a bang, me and Jo. That was it.

Blade: Can you say how you and Jo appearing on the show impacted your life?

Diggs: I don’t know. I’m the same person. I’ve been getting calls from people saying I saw you on the show. And friends who I haven’t seen in years have been calling. … So yeah, the show, people I haven’t seen and talked to in years have been calling. I think that’s a good thing.