The That Thing You Do! star and the comic-turned-U.S. talk show host sparked rumours they were dating 20 years ago after they were photographed together on several occasions, including during a memorable ‘date’ at the 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where they held hands.
And during a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) question-and-answer session with Johnathon on Monday (04Apr16), a fan asked the actor if the romance gossip was true or if their relationship was strictly platonic.
He revealed, “My manager asked me to accompany her to events. She was scared people would not watch the show, her sitcom Ellen, because she was gay. It was an honour.”
Two years after their SAG Awards date, Ellen publicly revealed her sexual orientation in a iconic cover story for Time magazine, and her character on her hit TV comedy Ellen also came out as a lesbian in an episode Johnathon was originally slated to make a guest appearance on.
When asked if he served as Ellen’s “beard” during this time, Johnathon explained, “She wasn’t out… I was supposed to perform in her coming out episode but I ran the marathon and couldn’t walk the next day (and) the network fired me ’cause they thought I was lame. I was lame! DONT RUN A MARATHON when your (sic) given a great gift.”
He went on to detail his personal passion for advocating gay rights, writing, “I grew up with two gay aunts and a gay uncle. My Aunt died of cancer. She was a proud woman and she didn’t get proper care because she didn’t want to be away from her partner. Hospitals didn’t allow partners the same rights as a spouse. When you have someone you love in your life that is gay or a lesbian it’s very clear that they deserve the same rights as anyone else. It’s not about religion.”
Johnathon, who is now married and a father to a young son, also opened up about his two failed marriages to actress Christina Applegate, who he was with from 2001 to 2007, and country singer Jana Kramer, who he divorced one month after exchanging vows with her in 2010.
“Jana and I had a wedding but we were never married,” Johnathon explained. “It simply came down to this: She wasn’t ready to be married. She wanted a singing career and that was what she was focused on… I was a little bit country with Jana and a little bit rock and roll with Christina!!! It all worked out for the best.
“Christina and (her husband) Martyn have a wonderful family. She’s cancer free and is an absolute hero for others and to my family… All the Christina Applegate and Jana Kramer fans should know – I’m rooting for them too.”
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