John Mayer Responds to Speculation About His Relationship With Andy Cohen & If They're Dating
John Mayer is hitting back at speculation over his relationship with Andy Cohen.
If you forgot, last year the Bravo star sparked questions about if he and the “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” crooner were dating after he said that they are “in love with each other” during an interview.
The topic came up again this month during a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. During it, Andy was told that “People seem dubious that a straight rock star can have a close, platonic relationship with a gay TV personality.”
“Let them speculate” he said. “I honestly love John Mayer, and he loves me. But because we are so affectionate to each other, people don’t know what box to put that in. They assume we are sleeping with each other, which we are most definitely not.”
John caught wind of the question, which went viral. He penned his own thoughtful response to the question.
Head inside to see John Mayer’s response…
In a letter to THR, John weighed in on the conversation and what it meant about friendships between gay and straight men.
“I read your interview with Andy Cohen, and was intrigued by your line of questioning regarding our friendship. You posited that ‘your friendship with Mayer has been a subject of intense speculation. People seem dubious that a straight rock star can have a close platonic relationship with a gay TV personality,’” he wrote.
John continued, saying, “I think this is somewhat of a specious premise. First, there is a long and storied history of ‘rock stars’ (not mocking, just won’t refer to myself as one) befriending gay icons and artists. Second, I think that to suggest that people are dubious of a friendship like mine and Andy’s is to undermine the public’s ability to accept and understand diversity in all facets of culture, be it in art or in real life.”
“I’d like to think they’re sophisticated enough to see a relationship like ours without assuming it must include a sexual component. That turns the concept of being gay into an ignorantly two-dimensional one, which I know you know it’s not. I don’t question that at all,” he opined.
“I love intelligent discourse — as I hope you’ll find this email to be — but I bristle at your selectively flimsy logic meant to coax an answer, when the premise itself is so deeply flawed — and quite possibly not even quantitatively true,” he said.
The musician concluded, writing, “Quite simply, if someone is dubious of a platonic relationship between a straight man and a gay man, I don’t think that shallow a view deserves clarification by anyone with self respect, be it Andy or your publication. Reinforcing the idea that any gay/straight relationship needs qualification that it’s not sexual devoids everyone involved of their dignity.”
Andy has previously clarified what he meant about him and John.
If you missed it, we also just got some big professional news about him.