Ryan Shea (all photos via Facebook) This took……time……to process. On Friday, my friend and Instinct Magazine colleague Ryan Shea, 34, lost his battle with COVID-19. It’s been a very emotional two weeks since Ryan told us all he’d been diagnosed. After a difficult three days at home, he was hospitalized and in two days he was intubated. Just nine days later, it was over. Thankfully, Ryan was sedated for most of the harrowing journey. While Ryan’s passing is very raw and painful to acknowledge, I do want to share a few things. Over the past year, I’ve covered a lot of the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve reported on the naysayers, the ‘it’s just another flu’ crew, and the ‘Karens’ who refuse to believe the danger of this horrible virus. I’ve had close friends contract COVID-19 and tell me how it ‘kicked their ass’ as they were laid up at home in bed for 2-3 weeks. I’ve seen several versions of the disease’s many iterations. At this writing, the U.S. has seen 497,577 deaths from the coronavirus. Ryan is now among those. And his battle with coronavirus was ugly. In addition to being on a ventilator for the majority of his time in the hospital, there was kidney failure, lung damage, brain damage, low low blood pressure and more. This is how nearly 500,000 Americans died from COVID. It wasn’t ‘like the flu.’ Fuck that nonsense. Ryan on the red carpet before the 2019 GLSEN Awards I will miss Ryan more than I can express here. For almost three years, I’ve worked with Ryan on a nearly-daily basis. He was brash, sassy, and passionate about his work. My last exchange with him was after he shared with the Instinct staff he’d tested positive. I immediately began texting him about multi-vitamins and any supplements that might help him. I’d read a study that a majority of COVID patients had a Vitamin D deficiency, so I told him to run get some. He stopped me texting back, “Can we pick this up later? I’m transcribing my interview with Bianca Del Rio (heart emoji).” Ryan loved Chipotle burritos My first week working for Instinct I quickly learned Ryan loved Chipotle burritos, loved all kinds of gay men, and worked hard to love himself in a world that doesn’t encourage us to do that very often. Ryan was also curious, tempestuous, opinionated, and often usually unfiltered. He was filled with the drive of someone who enjoyed what he did. And along the way, his work, his byline, his name was read by literally millions of people. He had an unerring eye for what popped in pop culture. He thrived as an entertainment journalist, and he LOVED interviewing folks on the red carpet. Ryan Shea interviewing Meryl Streep on the red carpetRyan Shea interviews Vanessa Williams on the red carpet There’s a lot more to Ryan, and a lot more Ryan the world won’t get to experience. He was a loving son, brother, uncle and friend. In a testament to his journey here, a GoFundMe campaign organized to help his family with end of life expenses exceeded its goal in less than 10 hours. But in his short time on the planet, his impact was felt. And seen. And heard. And read. Ryan didn’t hold back. He stepped up, stepped out, and contributed more than a name. Fly high Ryan Shea.
International superstar Dolly Parton (image via Instagram) The Tennessee state legislature has been working on passing a bill that would install a statue of country music legend Dolly Parton on the grounds of the state Capitol. So far, the legislation has been approved by a state House committee on February 9. But Parton gracefully asked the lawmakers to remove the bill from consideration (for now) saying she is “honored and humbled by their intention” but feels “given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time.” She added that “somewhere down the road several years from now” or after she’s gone, “if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.” Parton closed her message promising she’ll “continue to try to do good work” to make her home state proud. And I have no doubt that she will. #ClassAct
Actress and recording artist Demi Lovato premiered the trailer for her upcoming YouTube Originals documentary series, Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, on Wednesday.
The four-part series takes a deep dive into not only the circumstances that led up to her nearly fatal drug overdose in 2018, but the effects it had on Lovato’s life after being hospitalized.
In a voiceover, Lovato explains she’s had “so much to say over the past two years wanting to set the record straight about what it was that happened.”
Friends and family taking part in the docu-series express their surprise that Lovato really wants to go there.
One friend exclaims, “I can’t believe y’all are doing this.”
Another: “Are we talking about heroin? Are we doing that?”
Elton John in ‘Dancing with the Devil’
International pop-star Elton John, who knows a few things about fame and addiction, appears in the preview telling the audience, “When you’re young and you’re famous – my god it’s tough.”
In a candid disclosure, the 28-year-old reveals she had three strokes and a heart attack in the hospital.
“I was left with brain damage, and I still deal with the effects of that today,” she told reporters during a Television Critics Association panel on Wednesday. “I don’t drive a car because I have blind spots on my vision.”
“And I also for a long time had a really hard time reading,” she adds. “It was a big deal when I was able to read out of a book, which was like two months later because my vision was so blurry.”
Lovato, who came out as sexually fluid in 2018, shares that hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show last year “was the catalyst for my need and desire to express myself and my story to the fullest extent.” “I knew that one appearance on a television show wasn’t going to cut it, I was not going to be able to share my whole story in one interview whether it was with a magazine or whatever it is,” continued Lovato. “That’s why I wanted to turn it into a documentary.” Demi Lovato in ‘Dancing with the Devil’ (screen capture)
Speaking to PEOPLE Magazine, the singer acknowledged that despite the difficult aftermath of the overdose being a painful journey, looking back today she “wouldn’t change a thing.”
“I get sad when I think of the pain that I had to endure to overcome what I have, but I don’t regret anything.”
“I’m so proud of the person I am today,” she added. “And I’m so proud that people get to see it in this documentary and I couldn’t be more grateful that I had someone by my side.”
The pop star has released two previous documentary films. Demi Lovato: Stay Strong in 2012 after her first stint in rehab, and Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated in 2017 which chronicled her struggles with bi-polar disorder and continuing addiction. Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil premieres March 23 on YouTube.
Just months after launching an OnlyFans account, actor Tyler Posey (Alone) says the experience has been “bizarre” and “draining” (no pun intended).
“It’s really, sort of mentally draining,” Posey shared in an interview with E!’s The Rundown.
”You really feel like an object on OnlyFans. I’m trying my hardest to be artistic as possible with the content I put out ’cause I don’t want it to just be porn, you know? That’s not what I do and I don’t want to take it away from the people that are doing that.”
The 29-year-old added, “I just want to be artistic and stay in touch with my fans.”
Posey launched his OnlyFans account in September 2020 in part, he says, because he wanted to start embracing his body.
“I’m nude a lot and I wanted to be more open-minded about social media, so I just started posting,” he told his ex-girlfriend Bella Thorne in a candid video chat.
“I love being nude because… you’re not born wearing clothes, so I want to go out the same way that I came in,” he continued. “I want to die naked, and since 2020 has been a little scary, I feel I could die any second now, so I want to be ready.”
That said, Posey does have boundaries when it comes to sharing his nakedness. “If I’m going to be somewhat nude, I want to not take myself seriously and be kind of funny.”
“I just can’t pose naked and take myself seriously,” he added. “It’s weird, it feels stupid, I feel like an object. I’m still figuring out my footing in it and we’ll see where it goes.”
The former Teen Wolf star also shared in the new interview that he’s explored sexual role-play as a way to gain confidence in the bedroom but it usually leaves him “self-conscious and a little embarrassed.”
“It’s never been done for me, it’s always been done for my partner,” he said. “So I’m not always wanting to role play that hard, but I’m always down for it.”
Speaking of being down for things, last fall Posey opened up to his social media followers explaining that he considers himself somewhat pansexual and “has hooked up with guys.” He explained his coming out in an interview on SiriusXM’s The Jason Ellis Show. “I woke up one morning and I saw all this stuff on Instagram about these transsexual women who were being beaten and harassed, and there were a bunch of people that were filming the whole entire interaction and laughing at them,” Posey told Ellis. “Originally I was just shedding light on that, through whatever way that I could,” he added. “And, then I was hit with wanting just to come out myself with that whole thing and be honest about it.”
A few days later, Posey was even more forthright during a Q&A with his OnlyFans followers. Let’s hear it for brevity!
Fitness trainer Adrian Aguilar handles a wild Covidiot with amazing calm (screen captures) Some news items you might have missed: • LGBTQ Nation: The Mississippi state Senate passed a bill to ban transgender girls and women from competing in school sports by a vote of 34-9 late last week. Nine senators voted “present” or did not vote at all. • Instinct Magazine: I admit I’m not the biggest expert on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but watch Denali walk away with this lip-sync battle. Poor Kahmora was stuck in a tight dress and couldn’t bring much to the battle.
• Washington Blade: Following President Biden’s reversal of the transgender military ban, trans service members welcome the opportunity to serve openly. • Calendars: A new calendar, On Fire: The Firefighters of France, is a sexy homage to firefighters, spotlighting the proud members of fire squads from all over France, who have discarded their helmets and gear to flash their best smiles and flex their muscles. • AP: Dr. Anthony Fauci has been awarded $1 million by the Israel-based Dan David Foundation for “defending science” and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic. • Washington Post: An Atlanta-area prosecutor plans to scrutinize a post-Election Day phone call between Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as part of a criminal investigation into whether Donald Trump broke Georgia laws while trying to reverse his defeat in the state. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Talk about COVID nutjobs… fitness trainer (and Broadway veteran) Adrian Aguilar (top photos) had this wiiiiiiiild encounter with a male ‘Karen’ in Chicago when he asked the guy (later identified as Austin Tony Myers) to mask up per current pandemic guidelines. The guy goes nutso, starts poking a very calm Aguilar, and trying to escalate things even further. The police were called, and Myers tried to say HE had been assaulted. But with several gym members recording the encounter plus security cameras, officers eventually (the incident lasted hours) arrested Myers for assault and trespassing. You can read the full account here.
Michael and I (photo: John Ganun) Happy Valentine’s Day! I originally posted this ten years ago, in 2011, the first year of The Randy Report. Hot hubby Michael and I have been together for more than 26 years now. More wine…
With today being Valentine’s Day, obviously, my mind wanders to MY Valentine, Michael. That’s him, up above. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been together 26 Valentine’s Days. Before we met, it looked like V Day was always going to be something to sing sad songs about. Music is such a part of my life that I relate it to everything. When people ask about the day Michael and I met, I explain that it was exactly as Oscar Hammerstein II wrote:
“Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger; you may see a stranger across a crowded room; and somehow you know, you know even then, that somewhere you’ll see him again and again.”
I know, it sounds oh so cheesy, but it was that black and white. It’s just the best way to explain how I knew. There are days I can’t believe he’s in love with me. Still. Not that we have this flawless romance. On days we disagree, I just remind him I’m his favorite 🙂 Interestingly, when we got married, we didn’t really have a song for the day because we were just so amazed that we even had the right to get married. Probably the only big event in my life that doesn’t relate to a song. It was just all about Michael and me. It goes without saying that all day long today I’ll be playing various iterations of “My Funny Valentine.” It’s such a great tune, and so many awesome artists have brought it to life. Barbra Streisand’s version is still my favorite. A bit of drama in the beginning, and then that thrilling climax. https://youtu.be/WXym_e-wkYw And then there’s Ella Fitzgerald’s version – sublime. https://youtu.be/_IZrRJn0v-4 I recommend you get all of them, sit back and enjoy. I think I relate Valentine’s Day and romance to music because music has rhythm, hills & valleys, and texture; a lot like time-tested love does. A lot like Michael and I do. Michael is my valentine; he’s the music that makes me dance. I hope you all dance the way we do. (that’s a euphemism, kids…) I encourage everyone to pour a glass of wine, light some candles, turn out the lights, listen to some great music and enjoy.Whether alone or with your honey, it’s a good day to remember to love someone. Someone else, or even if that someone is yourself. That might even be the best place to start. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.
Justin Moore (via Twitter) Justin Moore, half of the very popular Instagram couple Justin and Nick, shared with his followers last December that he actually has a favorite gas station and it’s called – wait for it – Kum & Go. During a video stream with fans, he remembered he wanted to buy some merchandise from the gas station, like, a trucker hat. “Somebody remind me that I want to get Kum & Go merch … for those of you who don’t know … Kum & Go is a gas station. Kum & Go is a real gas station,” said Moore. But after checking online, the hottie found his hat was out of stock. So, he wrote the powers that be and suggested, on top of hats, that they add jockstraps to their list of merch. Because…why not? “Dearest Kum & Go, I would very much like to purchase the Kum & Go Foam Front Trucker Cap, but- upon examining your merchandise webpage- have realized it is out of stock,” wrote the scruffy influencer. “Might I also suggest a Kum & Go jockstrap eventually becoming part of your merchandise collection (have you seen the excitement around the Chromatica jockstrap by Lady Gaga or the new Nike jockstraps?)!”
yes, i did send a suggestion to @kumandgo gas stations to add a jockstrap to their merchandise collection
Moore got a response thanking him for the suggestion. He also kept in touch via Twitter with the company, and the messages paid off this week. On Thursday, Moore received a T-shirt from the company, but instead of the Kum & Go logo, the tee read “Kum & Gay Rights” – in rainbow colors! Not only that, but the company is now selling the “Kum & Gay Rights” tees and tank tops on the official website with $10 from each purchase to be donated to the Trevor Project. You can buy the shirts at the company’s online store. but hurry as the limited edition tees are only on sale through February 19.
Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX) Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX) became the first member of Congress to die from COVID-19. He died Sunday night at the age of 67. His family and spokesperson confirmed Wright’s death Monday morning. Wright had been battling cancer. From the Dallas Morning News:
According to the statement, Wright had been keeping a vigorous work scheduled before contracting the virus. Two weeks ago Wright and his wife, Susan, were admitted to Baylor hospital in Dallas because of COVID-19 side effects.
Wright announced on Jan. 21 that he had tested positive “after coming in contact with an individual with the virus last week.” He had been in quarantine since Jan. 15 and said he would remain in quarantine until doctors cleared him to return to work.
While Wright is the first member of Congress to die from coronavirus-related causes, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R-LA) died last December while battling the virus, before he could be sworn into office. Letlow was 41 years old.
Poet Amanda Gorman at Super Bowl LV Three quick Super Bowl bites as we move on from the terribly lop-sided event into this Monday morning: • While I’m no fan, there’s no denying Tom Brady is pretty much the best quarterback in the history of the NFL. That said, why did he have to choose to make a statement about not wearing a face mask as he entered the stadium yesterday – even as everyone around him did?
He may be a great quarterback, but he could be less of a selfish jerk and put on a damn mask. Terrible role model. pic.twitter.com/nLK7hawdvT
• But I’ll close this from the luminous Amanda Gorman who helped open the Super Bowl with “Chorus of the Captains.” https://twitter.com/latimessports/status/1358564722434580481
