February 24 2001 1:00 AM ET
Eminem says he didn’t know Elton John is gay
In an interview with MTV News following Wednesday’s Grammy Awards, Eminem told the network’s Kurt Loder that he was unaware, at first, that Elton John is gay. John joined Eminem onstage at the Grammys in a duet of “Stan,” a move that drew criticism for the openly gay Sir Elton from groups who objected to his collaboration with a rapper who has been accused of writing homophobic and misogynist lyrics. “Of course I’d heard of Elton John. I didn’t know he was gay. I didn’t know anything about his personal life,” said Eminem, adding, “I didn’t really care—but you know, being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from.” Eminem also told Loder, “If I didn’t make a statement with Elton John tonight, I don’t know what else to do.”
In other Eminem-Elton news, the two will be taking their act on the road, as the New York Daily News’ Rush & Molloy reports that Sir Elton will present Eminem with an award at Monday night’s Brit Awards, the United Kingdom’s equivalent to the Grammys. The column also reports that John beefed up his personal security at the Grammy Awards, hiring a couple of off-duty Los Angeles SWAT team members as bodyguards. Meanwhile, the British tabloid The Sun reports that Eminem and John will record their “Stan” duet as a single, with proceeds going to AIDS charities as well as to the Grammy Foundation and to the MusiCares Foundation, which helps alcoholics and drug addicts.
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