Marie Osmond To Oprah: 'My Son Was Not Gay'

popeater.com:

Nearly nine months after her son's tragic death by suicide, Marie Osmond is finally opening up about her loss. Osmond's 18-year-old son, Michael Blosil, took his own life by jumping off a Los Angeles apartment building in February. The singer, who adopted Michael with ex-husband Brian Blosil, told Oprah of the tragedy, "I've been through some tough things in my life [but] this is probably the hardest thing I've been through."

Osmond admitted to understanding her son's plight, having suffered from post-partum depression herself. One of their last conversations was telling, she says. "When I heard him say to me 'I have no friends,' it brought back when I went through depression," she said. "Because you really feel so alone."

Read the whole story: popeater.com

Comments

[SouthernQ]

04:18 PM on 12/14/2010

Marie Osmond can't even acknowledg­e to herself that her son was gay. If gay mormon kids could come out and be accepted, there wouldn't be the ridiculous assertion here that he wasn't gay, because he would have told everyone. Also, if gay mormon kids could come out and be accepted, then they wouldn't be despairing and depressed and want to kill themselves­. They also would not internaliz­e all of the homophobic mormon ideology.

[Jdaddy1951]

11:47 PM on 11/13/2010

Recently, I posted the following comment on this story:

"Having lost a son this year who WAS gay, I can totally identify with Ms. Osmond's grief. I wish her and the rest of her family much encouragement as they continue their lives. There is no real closure, no getting over it, you just endure knowing that one seat at the family table is empty.

"One of the hardest things to say after a child does is how many children you have. I always say "seven" because I can't bring myself to speak of Patrick  in the past."

Reader Kimiko Austin-Rijs responded:

"My condolences to you and yours. I pray that he found the peace in his afterlife that he was denied in this one."

I attempted to post a response four times to Kimiko Austin Rijs simply thanking her for the condolence but attempting to clarify any suggestion that my son had committed suicide, which he did not. The post should have made it past the Huffington Post moderators, but DID NOT. This extremely delicately manner was handled by a ham-handed moderator and as a grieving parent, I have been treated very badly. I am asking for whoever is in charge of the moderators to explain why my comment was deleted FOUR times and to publicly apologize to me.


This simple exchange between myself and Kimiko Austin-Rijs should have been handled with more sensitivity. Shame on Huffington Post for allowing its moderators to behave in such an abominable manner.

[shoegirl]

06:25 PM on 11/13/2010

mowgo: Again as I said, maybe Marie was fine with it, maybe the boy himself wasn't fine with it...maybe his dad wasn't fine with it. he was depr.essed, maybe that was why....maybe he himself couldn't deal with it....maybe he was in denial...we don't know.

How many straight men do you know who are in fashion? I'm just sayin....It is a sad thing that this country is so ho.rrible to gay people, especially re.ligion...what it does to them....it is a sad thing. What I'm saying has nothing to do with Marie.

[tploomis]

05:08 PM on 11/13/2010

I think coming to terms with the suicide of one of your children is possibly the hardest thing a person can go through, and my heart goes out to Marie. I hope she can find peace and understanding.

[Lefty83]

11:57 AM on 11/13/2010

Of course not, Mormons don't "catch the gay."

[mowgo]

04:07 PM on 11/13/2010

I guess that you didn't read any of the posts here, or watch the interview with Oprah. Marie has a gay daughter whom she is proud of. Marie and Donnie appeared on posters against Prop 8, and against the Mormon church's support of it. Marie supports gay marriage.

[harriettubman]

11:29 AM on 11/13/2010

Some of you are posting as if you didn't watch the show and just want to make a foolish comment. Marie has a gay daughter and fully supports her. Michael's gay sister said he was not gay. Ok!! There's nothing sinister about Marie's comments. Either watch the show or refrain from being assinine.

[lulumer]

11:07 AM on 11/13/2010

you know it's one thing to be harsh on a celeb
for some ridiculous outfit or yet another break-up
BUT REALLY?
how do you judge so harshly this woman that lost her child
in a world that is so complicated?
judge less, love more.

[melton244]

12:06 AM on 11/13/2010

Maria, he has passed, why so defiant if he was or wasn't.....maybe this is why he isn't here any longer.

[MissRoseNylund]

05:34 AM on 11/13/2010

Did you watch the show? Marie wasn't defiant. Marie said her daughter Jessica, who is a lesbian, asked her address the tabloid rumors about Michael .


http://www­.oprah.com­/oprahshow­/Marie-Osm­onds-Heart­breaking-L­oss/11

"Marie says her daughter Jessica wanted to clarify Michael's sexuality because she didn't like the implication that all gay people commit suicide."

[bgofca]

10:52 PM on 11/12/2010

or maybe he was afraid to come out, like so many young people, because of the reprisals from their churches (especially the mormon church who brought us h8.)

[MissRoseNylund]

05:44 AM on 11/13/2010

Marie's daughter Jessica is gay, and Marie is very close to her. Marie has come out in support of gay marriage, and even appeared on posters condemning the Mormon church for their support of Prop 8.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/05/05/Marie_Osmond_Loves,_Supports_Lesbian_Daughter/

[kellygrrrl]

10:52 PM on 11/12/2010

just out of curiosity, at what point does that change? Ever? When someone is 30, is it still the parents' fault?
Have you never seen a situation where the parents were loving and supportive yet still could not prevent the suicide?

I have

[aspadeisaspade]

12:57 AM on 11/13/2010

I don't agree. Having contemplated suicide because I was a gay teenager, it was the general environment I found myself in - school, bullies, intolerance, RELIGION, negative societal messages - and not my parents that failed me. When your environment tells your young impressionable mind that everything you are is bad and shameful, it's difficult to confide in the two people who love you the most when you fear, rationally or irrationally, that they too will reject you or that you will visit shame upon them as well.

[twinskids]

07:25 AM on 11/13/2010

He would have not had that fear, Marie has a daughter who is gay and OUT. She publicly accepts that her daughter is gay and also says that marriage is a civil right.

[aspadeisaspade]

01:10 AM on 11/13/2010

That is unfair. My parents raised six children - the youngest of which was me, the only gay child and youngest of five boys - and I fully realize that being parents and working hard to put a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs was a very busy job that stretched their abilities. They were human, not super-human, and did their best. I could not comment on anyone's motives as a parent or human being unless I personally knew them and the dynamics of their family. Marie Osmond strikes me neither as a selfish person nor parent.

[kmcv]

07:33 AM on 11/13/2010

faved and happy to be your first fan.

[mowgo]

04:08 PM on 11/13/2010

Happy to be your 2nd fan.

[Shaun Hensley]

02:26 AM on 11/13/2010

So Marie is not allowed to have a job? That's a little harsh.

[Vernie31]

02:46 AM on 11/13/2010

Marie was betrayed by her own WORDS, you need to listen to what was actually being said.

[dennissinned]

09:14 PM on 11/12/2010

Painful to read. I wouldn't wish that on any parent.

[Christine McElroy]

08:44 PM on 11/12/2010

Poor Marie - she is a broken woman. Leave her alone.

[melton244]

12:07 AM on 11/13/2010

she CHOICES the public eye, why give an interview....it is ALL about HER.

[kmcv]

07:41 AM on 11/13/2010

I'm not sure what your issue is? She is a public person, and is sharing her story, so, as she explained it, when faced with questions in the future she can say: i've already discussed that on oprah and I have nothing more to say.

[Vernie31]

09:54 AM on 11/13/2010

Her choice was to restart her career and eventually led to limited time to being the Mother of such a Needy child.

[Vernie31]

09:53 AM on 11/13/2010

She is Haunted by her own personal faliures....

[twinskids]

10:39 AM on 11/14/2010

No she is haunted by the what if's. No way can she put that aside right now-to new too row.

Having been divorced is a personal failure, have a mentally ill child-a nightmare.

[Brian Gorrell]

08:33 PM on 11/12/2010

He was gay.
Poor Marie is lost in denial.

[MissRoseNylund]

05:55 AM on 11/13/2010

So that must mean Marie's lesbian daughter is in denial about her brother, because she's the one who asked Marie to clarify that he was straight.


http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Marie-Osmonds-Heartbreaking-Loss/11

"My son was not gay," Marie says. "He wanted to be married and have a family and travel all over the world. And it wouldn't matter if he was—I have a daughter who is gay, and it was my daughter who was offended by it."

"Marie says her daughter Jessica wanted to clarify Michael's sexuality because she didn't like the implication that all gay people commit suicide. And while Marie's heart goes out to any gay teen who is struggling with bullying or thoughts of suicide, she says that wasn't the case with her son."

[harriettubman]

06:54 PM on 11/12/2010

Evidently he WASN'T gay because his gay sister even said he wasn't and she'd know. What's the title of this story all about? I felt like reaching thru my TV to hug Marie.

With all those children, a bad marriage and working so very hard, I wonder if parents realize the quality and quantity time children really need? From talking about him he appeared to be a needy child then man.

Marie has worked her entire life and it's time someone holds her, comforts her and takes care of her for a change.

[twinskids]

10:43 AM on 11/14/2010

Marie's husband was a dipstick. He left her with 8 kids after having a baby to go work on an album when surely he could have put it off for a few weeks while they PACKED to move to California. It was a wonder Marie went into a PP depression. Too much to do too soon after birth. She has always been a breadwinner and he just road on her coattails.